-5^«v  OF  pm^cer^ 


^10GICALSt>A\:^ 


BV  3797  .C38  1851 
Caughey,  James,  18107-1891 
Revival  miscellanies, 
containing  eleven  revival 


■44:     1 


EEVIVAL  MISCELLANIES: 

MfilCAL  81^' 


CONTAINING 


ELEVEN  REVIVAL  SERMONS, 


AND    THOUGHTS    ON 


ENTIRE  SAN CTIFICATION  — REVIVAL  PREACHINa  — METHODS  TO  PRO- 
MOTE REVIVALS  —  EFFECTS  OF  REITVAL  EFFORTS  —  REVIVALS  AND 
THE   TERRORS   OF  GOD— REVIVAL   EXCITEMENTS  — REVIVAL 
PRAYER-MEETINGS  — DIFFICULTIES  OF   CONVERTS  — 
TEMPTATION  —  INFIDELITY  —  AFFLICTION  — 
BACKSLIDING- PRAYER— MINISTERIAL 
CONFLICTS,  ETC. 


SELECTED   FROM   THE   WORKS   OF   THE 

REV.   JAMES    CAUGHEY, 

TOE  EMINENTLY  SUCCESSFUL  RETITALIST, 

By  rev.  RALPH  W.  ALLEN  AND  REV.  DANIEL  WISE. 


BOSTON: 
FOR  SALE  BY  T.  P.  MAGEE, 

la  Washinotow  Strxxt. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1851,  by 

DANIEL  WISE  AND  R.  W.   ALLEN, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


Printed  by  Geo.  C.  Rand,  8  Coknhill. 


STEREOTYPED    BY 

HOBART  &  ROBBINS, 

NIW  ENGLAND  TYPE  AND   STEREOTYPE   rODKDERY, 
BOSTON. 


3  n  s  r  r  i  p  1 1  n  n . 


TO  EVERY  FRIEND  OF  EVANGELICAL  HOLINESS 
AND  OF  SCRIPTURAL  REVIVALS, 

THIS    BOOK    IS    MOST    AFFECTIONATELY    INSCRIBED, 

BY  THEIR  SINCERE   WELL-WISHERS, 

DANIEL  WISE,  RALPH  W.  ALLEN. 


PREFACE 


The  large  and  rapid  sale  of  the  volume  containing  an 
account  of  Rev.  James  Caughey's  extraordinary  revival 
labors  *  having  stamped  it  with  the  seal  of  public  approbation, 
the  testimonies  of  numerous  and  competent  witnesses  hav- 
ing satisfied  us  that  it  has  been  made  extensively  useful, 
and  many  persons  having  expressed  a  strong  desire  to  see 
some  of  those  sermons  in  print  which  have  been  so  remarka- 
bly blessed  of  God  in  the  pulpit,  we  have  thought  fit  to 
prepare  and  publish  the  present  work,  as  a  companion  to  the 
former.  We  publish  it  with  an  honest  conviction  that  it  will 
be  a  valuable  addition  to  the  spiritual  hterature  of  the  church, 
and  a  means  of  leading  many  to  seek  a  higher  state  of  grace, 
and  to  engage  in  more  intelligent  and  comprehensive  efforts 
for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

The  sermons  which  form  the  first  part  of  this  book  were 
mostly  taken  down  by  British  stenographers,  as  dehvered  in 
public.  They  give  as  fair  a  view  of  the  character  of  Mr. 
Caughey's  pulpit  efforts  as  can  be  imparted  in  print.  But  no 
one  can  form  any  adequate  conception  of  the  effect  of  these  dis- 

*  Over  ten  thousand  copies  were  sold  in  about  a  year.  The  plates  were 
then  purchased  by  the  book  agents  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
South,  by  whom  it  is  now  published. 

1# 


VI  PREFACE. 

coui'ses  on  a  congregation,  who  has  not  heard  them,  as,  burn- 
ing with  intellectual  and  spiritual  fervor,  they  fell  from  the 
lips  of  that  devoted  man  of  God.  They  are  published,  not  as 
models  either  of  form,  style,  or  manner,  for  any  man  to  imi- 
tate;— Mr.  Caughey  cannot  be  copied;  perhaps  he  ought  not 
to  be;  he  is  unique  in  almost  every  respect; — but  we  offer 
them  simply  as  specimens  of  that  pulpit  oratory  which  God 
has  so  wondrously  blessed.  Not  that  they  are  without  merit 
as  compositions.  They  do  contain  many  fine,  not  to  say  sub- 
lime, passages.  They  are  rich  in  illustration.  They  breathe 
with  the  fire  of  a  soul  in  earnest.  They  possess  the  rare 
power  of  kindling  the  heart  to  feeling,  and  of  arousing  the 
reader  to  action.  They  cannot  be  read  without  profit.  Sim- 
ilar remarks  apply  to  his  "  Thoughts  "  on  the  manifold  topics 
treated  of  in  the  second  part  of  this  book.  They  are  not  ele- 
gant ;  they  are  not  always  profound :  they  are  abrupt ;  the 
unity  of  the  chapters  is  not  always  preserved, — a  fault  growing 
out  of  the  fact  of  their  being  written  originally  in  the  form  of 
familiar  letters :  but  they  are  vigorous,  practical,  plain,  dis- 
tinguished for  strong  common  sense,  and  animated,  like  his 
sermons,  though  not  in  the  same  degree,  with  life  and  feel- 
ing. The  soul  of  earnest  thought  is  in  them,  and  they  will 
benefit  every  reflective  and  serious  reader. 

Daniel  Wise. 

Ralph  W.  Allen. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I.  — REVIVAL  SERMONS. 

I.  — The  Standing  Doubt, 13 

II.  —  The  Omnipotence  of  Faith, 22 

m.  —  Purification  by  Faith, 36 

IV.  —  The  Fear  op  Death  DESTRO-i-ED  by  a  Sight  of  Christ,  ...  53 

V. — The  Fulness  D^velling  in  Jesus  Christ, 72 

VI. — The  Fear  of  Unconverted  Men  in  the  Hour  of  Death,  .   .  92 

VII.  —  Quenching  the  Spirit, 101 

VIII.  —  The  Striving  of  the  Spirit, 108 

IX.  — The  Sting  of  Death,      120 

X.  —  A  Call  to  Decision, 136 

XI.  —  An  Invitation  to  Straitened  Souls, 153 


PART  II.— MISCELLANIES. 
CHAPTER  I. 

IS  ENTIRE   SANCTIFICATION  A  GRADUAL   OR  AN   INSTANTANEOUS   WORK  1 

Three  respects  in  which  entire  sanctification  is  gradual  —  what  is  entire 
purity  1  —  instantaneous  sanctification  —  state  of  those  Methodists  who  are  not 
seeking  holiness  —  on  professing  holiness  —  oppositions  —  quick  vegetation  in 
warm  climates  —  dying  to  sin  —  Mr.  Wesley  —  the  doctrine  argued  from  its 
conditions  —  faith  described  —  Dr.  Clark  —  Fletcher  —  scriptural  proofs —  why 
are  not  believers  purified  at  once  —  entire  sanctification  sometimes  given  with 
justification  —  the  author's  experience  —  objections  considered, 165 

CHAPTER  n. 

ENTIRE   SANCTIFICATION  A  DISTINCT  BLESSING. 

Methodist  opinion  —  scriptural  distinctions  —  regeneration  —  sanctification 
begun  —  the  rising  sun  —  sanctification  may  be  received  with  justification  — 
expeHence  of  believers  generally  —  why  not  given  at  once  —  case  of  primitive 
believers  considered  —  scriptural  proofs  —  Richard  "Watson's  opinion  —  argu- 
mentum  ad  horainem  —  various  kinds  of  faith  —  Bartimeus  —  the  leper  —  the 
diseased  woman  —  poetical  extracts  —  paucity  of  those  who  are  entirely  sanc- 
tified when  justified  —  naked  faith  —  extract  from  an  eminent  di\-iue  —  instan- 
taneous work  —  an  objection  considered  —  conversion  necessary  to  entire  sancti- 
fication,      181 


VIII  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  III. 

ON   REVIVAL   PREACHmO. 

Desires  for  revival  —  the  army  of  Antichrist  —  piercing  preaching  the  want  of 
the  church  —  apostolic  preaching  —  an  Irish  Christian's  opinion  —  the  lazy 
soldier  —  the  eloquent  philosopher  —  a  minister  who  wrote  and  talked  about 
revivals, 197 

,     CHAPTER  IV. 

OF  METHODS  TO  PROMOTE  A  REVIVAL. 

Do  revivals  always  begin  in  the  same  manner  1  —  silent  prayer  —  the  secrej 
prayer-meeting  in  the  dark  —  the  local  preachers  and  a  revival  —  the  despond- 
ing minister  and  an  unexpected  revival  —  facts  the  materials  of  revival  preaching 
—  a  just  criticism  —  the  medical  lecturer — proving  of  principles  insufficient  — 
revival  speculations  —  revival  department  of  newspapers  and  their  influence  — 
the  one  conversion  —  divine  glory  —  joy  in  heaven  —  united  prayer  —  God's 
time  to  bless  —  the  awakening  —  special  services  —  importance  of —  Hannibal  — 
Joash  and  the  bundle  of  arrows  —  Gideon  and  his  army  —  flowery  preaching  — ■ 
eflfect  of — its  wickedness  —  striking  to  make  the  iron  hot, 218 

CHAPTER  V. 

EFFECT   OF  REVIVAL  EFFORTS   ON  LUKEWARM    CHURCHES  AND    CHURCH-MEMBERS. 

Unconverted  professors  —  their  number  —  false  teaching  —  a  striking  compar- 
ison—  sad  death-beds  —  conversion  of  professors  —  causes  which  often  lead 
such  to  change  their  church  relation  —  opposition  —  small  preaching  —  revival 
preaching  and  tender  consciences  —  hypocrites  —  effect  of  revivals  on  dead 
churches  —  the  two  pastures  —  the  complaint  well  answered  —  deserted  congre- 
gations —  a  confession  —  unconverted  ministers  cannot  be  extensively  useful  — 
a  curse, 236 


CHAPTER  VT. 

REVIVALS   AND  THE  TERRORS   OF   GOD. 

Revival  converts  often  terrified  —  yet  converted  —  a  question  in  point  —  facts 
—  Lord  Bacon  —  diverse  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  —  terrible  providences  — 
revival  begun  in  a  thunder-storm  —  faithfulness  of  the  converts  —  glorious  work 
of  the  Spirit  in  Montreal  —  extraordinary  conversion  —  wonderful  results  —  a 
duubt  —  God  and  the  storms  of  ocean  —  an  alarmed  family  seeking  God  —  the 
cholera  and  revivals  —  revival  converts  endure  well  —  Mr.  Wesley's  opinion  — 
Holy  Spirit's  care  for  his  own  work, 248 

CHAPTER  VII. 

REVIVAL  EXCITEirENTS. 

William  Dawson  and  an  objection  to  revival  excitement  —  a  dialogue  —  Elijah 
and  the  Carmelite  —  fear  of  the  latter  —  his  opinion  of  heavy  rains — its  past 
evils —  Elijah's  struggles  —  his  disregard  of  the  Carmelite -^  Elijah's  servant  — 
the  Carmelite  compares  ancient  and  modern  rains  —  unseasonable  rains  —  de- 
structive rains  —  the  wheat  and  the  chaff — the  Carmelite's  vexation  —  the 
shower  falls  —  glorious  results  —  quotation  from  Horace  —  frequent  preaching  — 
Cato.     .    .  261 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

OF   CONFUSION  IN   REVIVAL  PRArER-MEETIXGS. 

The  baronet's  opinion  of  Rev.  G.  "WliiteficUl  —  his  error  corrected  —  a  revival  is 
old  Methodiam  revived  —  Mr.  Wesley  and  scenes  in  revival  meetings  —  the  band- 
room  excitement  —  the  surprised  father  — a  Quaker's  opinion  — the  select 
meeting  — revival  scene  in  Cork  — the  objector  —  blasting  rocks  — the  town- 
clerk  of  Ephesus  —  a  royal  boaster, 275 

CEAPTER  IX. 

THE   INQUIRER  DIRECTED, 

"The  objections  of  an  awakened  sinner  —  the  heart  to  be  given  as  it  is  —  help- 
lessness of  sinners  —  poetical  extract— offices  of  the  Holy  Spirit  — tardy  peni- 
tents reproved  — a  heart  with  inbred  sin  not  fully  comforted  —  ignorance  of 
privileges  illustrated  — fruits  of  the  Spirit  — the  gold  coin  — past  experience  — 
the  old  man  and  the  potato-cakes  —  almanacs  and  their  use  —  the  sea-captain  — 
the  stake  in  the  field  —  cry  of  the  Spirit  —  extract  from  Dr.  Paley  —  the  pot  of 
manna, 281 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE  CONVERT  UNDER  TEMPTATION. 

The  hue  and  cry  —  Pharaoh's  brick-kilns  —  Satan's  rage — temptation  and 
evidence  of  escape  —  fear  of  backsliding  —  Christian  armor  —  patience  needful  — 
gold  —  holiness  —  God's  fidelity  —  promises  —  a  hymn  —  ministry  of  angels  — 
the  martyr — safety  of  believers  —  how  to  meet  Satan  —  Irish  class-leader's 
illustration  —  a  mediator  —  the  martyr's  joy  —  saying  of  Augustine  —  extract  — 
effect  of  trial  on  our  sj^iritual  exercises  —  mental  conflicts  overruled  —  Samson 
and  the  lion  —  rough  winds  —  Christ  on  the  lake  —  a  duty  —  the  buoy  —  Chris- 
tian security  —  varieties  in  Christian  experience  —  heathen  opinions  —  life  a 
pilgrimage  of  blasts — fiery  trials  —  mental  trials — an  experiment  —  Satan's 
chain  —  depths  of  Satan  —  views  of  personal  history  —  Benjamin  —  Satan's  skill 
—  a  tender  conscience  —  a  scrupulous  conscience  —  King  Josiah  —  Satan's 
devices  —  love  and  trials, 290 

CHAPTER  XI. 

INSUFFICIENCT   OF  INFIDBLITT. 

Aristoxenus — universal  feeling —  character  of  infidels  —  a  sentiment  —  poet- 
ical extract  —  a  dying  infidel's  confession  —  necessity  of  holiness  an  argument 
against  infidelity  —  the  spider  —  bold  sinners  —  Nero  —  Julian  —  Grecian  cow- 
ards—  sudden  death  of  an  infidel  —  a  poet's  death -bed  —  the  dying  infidel's 
rebuke  —  a  bad  man's  thoughts  while  drowning  —  two  deaths  —  God's  justice 
slow  but  potential  —  the  sleigh-ride  —  test  of  principles  —  the  way  of  infidels 
hard, 310 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

INFIDELmr  AND  FAITH   CONTRASTED. 

Spiritual  blindness  —  the  blind  philosopher  —  ridiculous  position  of  infidels  — 
foolish  Harpaste  —  quotation  —  infidel  folly  —  infidels  are  dupes  —  poetical  ex- 
tract—  death-bed  confession, 320 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  Xin. 

INFIDELS  NOT   SINCERE. 

Writer's  persuasion  —  two  gentlemen  and  a  countryman  —  infidelity  has  no 
charm  —  infidel  consciences  hard  —  extract  —  old  proverb  —  naariner's  compass 
and  iron  mountain  —  causes  that  mislead  infidels, 324 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

INFIDEL  OBJECTIONS  ANSWERED. 

English  and  American  infidels  alike  —  objections  —  the  painter's  broomstick 
—  a  lady's  reply  —  the  infidel  no  judge  of  sin's  penalty — justice  of  eternal 
punishment  —  the  child's  rebuke  —  the  Welsh  peasant  and  the  Socinian  — 
leaving  popular  opinion  —  the  foolish  nurses, 327 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  ANXIETY  OF  INFIDELS. 

The  creed  of  infidels  —  why  infidels  love  discussion  —  two  things  concerning 
infidelity — the  farmer's  doubt  —  grammar  and  dissensions  —  objection  derived 
from  lives  of  Christians  —  voices  from  the  tomb  —  looking  down  on  Christians  — 
character  of  true  Christians — the  western  travellers, 331 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

INFIDEL   DEFENCES   DEMOLISHED. 

A  great  infidel  want  —  infidel  difficulties  not  offspring  of  intellectual  greatness 

—  one  false  principle  —  a  supposition  —  a  nation  of  infidels  —  infidelity  has  no 
moral  principles  —  infidels  are  illiberal  —  an  infidel's  avowal  —  Bible  and  reason 

—  a  comparison  —  free-thinkers  are  free-doers  —  the  highwayman's  confession 

—  the  infidel  fear  —  a  statesman's  reason  for  not  propagating  infidelity  —  Chris- 
tian morality —  a  sophism  —  the  two  watchmen  —  an  epitaph, 337 


CHAPTER  XVn. 

ANNIHILATION. 

Relation  between  poor  health  and  error — what  is  annihilation  1  —  idea  of 
eternity  difficult  to  be  expelled  from  the  mind  —  atheists  —  a  predicament 
expressed  by  a  poet  —  annihilation  considered  —  not  a  small  matter  —  a  dilemma 
—  extract  from  the  Sheffield  bard, 345 


CHAPTER  XVin. 

THE   SOUL  NOT  MATERIAL. 

Argument  from  divine  and  angelic  natures  —  a  dilemma  —  summary  — a 
writer's  argument  —  thought  not  an  element  of  matter  —  a  view  of  the  creation 
—  meaning  of  immaterial  —  why  the  word  is  used, 349 


CONTENTS.  XI 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  MISERY   OF   BACKSLIDERS. 

Mournful  cadences  —  God's  declaration — cause  of  backsliding  not  a  secret  — 
extract  —  Paul  —  condemnation  spontaneous  —  quaint  comparisons  —  what  the 
heart  was  —  a  rebuking  conscience  —  remorse  of  a  dying  sinner  —  remorse  hard 
to  suflFer  —  sentiment  of  a  Frenchman — word  of  encouragement — the  prodigal's 
welcome  —  comment  of  old  divine  on  Ezek.  18  :  24  —  the  scrivener.'s  regret  — 
the  night  after  the  fall  —  extract  from  Milton  —  mental  anguish  —  promises  to 
penitent  backsliders  —  God  near  to  the  penitent  —  a  striking  thought  —  why 
pardon  is  delayed  —  reflection  on  the  past  needful — an  awful  lesson  —  affecting 
incident  —  its  application,      352 

CHAPTER  XX. 

CHRIST  A  BACKSLEDEB's   SAYIOUK. 

Unbelief  inventive  —  an  objection — presence  of  sin — an  aged  Christian  and 
the  name  of  Jesus  —  thoughts  of  Christ  —  power  of  Jesus*  name  — the  name  of 
Christ  omnipotent  —  names  of  Deity  —  a  revival  incident — a  question  —  an 
invitation, 365 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

PAST  SINS   OP  BACKSLIDERS. 

Dryden's  sentiment  —  the  law's  demand  —  forgetfulness  of  sin  not  pardon  — 
recollection  of  sin  should  not  hinder  from  coming  to  Christ  —  the  depth  of  Christ's 
mercy  to  be  viewed  —  an  illustration  —  when  repentance  is  deep  enough  — 
Satan's  advantage — -effect  of  looking  to  Christ, 372 

CHAPTER  XXTT. 

THE  BACKSLIDER  MUST  TAKE   RIGHT  VIEWS   OF  GOD. 

Hindrances  to  salvation  not  in  Grod  —  faith  precedes  feeling — the  Father 
must  be  honored  —  God's  love  for  sinners  equal  to  the  love  of  Christ —  God  ia 

reconciled  by  the  death  of  Christ — faith  —  dishonoring  views  of  the  Father 

fear  a  sequence  of  erroneous  views  —  expulsive  ideas  —  Socinian  errors  and  their 
opposite  extreme  —  Scripture  views  of  the  Father, 377 

CHAPTER  XXm. 

THE  BACKSLIDER  ENCOtTRAGED. 

A  change  —  imperfect  peace  —  extract  from  Arbuthnot — conflict  between  light 
and  unbelief — confidence  and  love  —  further  thoughts  on  the  relation  of  the 
Father  to  the  atonement  —  abounding  love  of  the  Father — harmony  in  the  God- 
head —  backsliders  are  welcome, 385 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  BACKSLIDER   RESTORED. 

Praise  —  great  deliverance  —  humble  gratitude  demanded  —  Satan  frustrated 
—  oauae  for  increased  surprise  — a  snare  of  Satan,     , 393 


XII  X^ONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

OP  PRAYER. 

Scripture  prayer — language  of  prayer  —  the  Yorkshire  peasant  —  coarse 
prayers  —  sincerity  —  the  reproof — sin  —  ardent  prayer  —  Paulus  -lEnoilius  — 
saying  of  a  bishop  —  supplication  —  Cecil's  illustration  —  Demosthenes  and  hia 
client  —  lazy  prayers — answers  to  prayers  —  God  and  prayer, 397 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  BELIEyER  IN  ATFLICTION. 

A  mystery  —  a  comparison  —  the  father  and  his  boy  —  ancient  nobles  —  chas- 
tening and  punishing  —  Saint  Austin's  saying  —  why  God  chastens — chasten- 
ing unpleasant  —  Christ  in  the  garden  —  Moses  —  the  spouse  of  Christ  —  results 
of  aflOiiction  —  Satan's  masterpiece — counterfeits  —  St.  Paul  and  St.  James  — 
good  works  —  crosses  and  rewards, 403 

CHAPTER  XXVn. 

HINTS  TO  MINISTERS. 

A  call  to  preach  —  ministers  assailants  —  Mr.  Wesley's  sentiments  —  min- 
isterial improvement  —  how  to  lose  revival  zeal  —  a  dangerous  state  —  seculari- 
ties  pressed  on  ministers  —  pulpit  talents  —  relation  of  prayer-meetings  to  the 
pulpit  —  pause  in  a  revival  —  sin  of  a  minister  in  a  revival  —  ordinary  effect  of 
ministerial  sin  —  comparisons  —  the  rebuke  —  ministerial  holiness  —  legal  and 
evangelical  preaching  —  Old  Humphrey  —  Popilius   ...  410 

CHAPTER  XXVni. 

MINISTERIAL  CONFLICTS. 

Cold  manner  —  efforts  in  summer  —  revival  labors — instruction  gained  in 
revivals  —  the  closet  and  the  pulpit — studying  mind  —  human  nature  to  be 
observed  —  a  sad  event  —  how  to  be  qualified  —  on  cultivating  a  revival  spirit  — 
the  archbishop's  choice  —  the  greater  honor  —  death-bed  joy  —  a  promise  —  Dr. 
Payson's  joy  —  students  for  the  ministry  —  what  they  should  be  —  variety  of 
gifts  —  the  reapers  —  the  Spartan  mother  —  a  mortifying  failure  —  plague  in 
Israel  —  the  fair  breeze  improved  —  God's  business  —  intervals  between  revivals 

—  wicked  men  in  the  church  —  a  revival  —  how  it  begun  and  went  on  —  the  in- 
habitants of  the  pole  rejoicing  to  see  the  sun  —  strange  movements  of  some 
sinners  —  noble  examples  —  dead  and  living  fish  —  the  pilot  and  the  commander 

—  Godmthus, 421 


REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES 


SERMON   I. 

THE  STANDING  DOUBT. 

Rejoice  evermore,  pray  without  ceasing,  in  everything  give  thanks :  for  thia  La  th« 
will  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  concerning  you.  —  1  Thes.  5  :  16, 17, 18. 

Now,  that  is  a  religion  worth  having.  It  is  the  sum  and  sub- 
stance of  all  true  religion.  It  is  the  religion  of  the  Bible,  the 
religion  of  Heaven.  I  again  repeat,  such  a  religion  as  my  text 
describes  is  a  religion  worth  having ;  and  if  a  man  has  it,  he 
will  know  it.  Do  you  think  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  rejoice 
evermore,  pray  without  ceasing,  and  in  everything  give  thanks, 
and  not  know  it  ?  The  religion  of  the  New  Testament  is  the 
simplest  thing  in  the  world.  It  is  as  open  as  the  day.  It  seems 
to  say  to  me,  —  Read  me,  criticize  me,  embrace  me,  and  I  will 
make  you  happy :  and  if  it  makes  you  happy,  will  you  not 
know  it  ?  You  cannot,  then,  have  religion,  and  not  know  it. 
Our  text  contains  two  ways,  two  glorious  ways,  by  which 
the  soul  ascends  to  God,  —  prayer  and  gratitude.  It  contains 
three  links  of  Christian  experience, — joy,  prayer,  thanksgiving. 
They  all  depend  one  upon  the  other ;  you  cannot  destroy  one 
without  destroying  the  whole.  If  you  stop  praying,  you  will 
soon  stop  thanking  ;  and  if  you  stop  thanking,  you  will  soon  stop 
rejoicing ;  cease  to  rejoice,  and  the  voice  of  thanksgiving  will  be 
hushed,  and  the  spirit  of  prayer  will  droop  and  die.  Then  we 
say,  "  Rejoice  evermore,  pray  without  ceasing,"  &c.     We  will 

I.  Show  that  it  is  the    privilege  of   the    Christian   to 

REJOICE  evermore. 

II.  State  the  reason   why  so  many    professors    do  not 

ATTAIN  TO  THIS  HAPPY  STATE. 


14  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

First,  the  privilege. 

"  Were  we  called  upon  to  embody  and  delineate  the  spirit  of 
the  Gospel,  we  would  not  dip  our  pencil  in  the  black  die  of  mel- 
ancholy, to  paint  a  dark  and  dismal  figure,  with. cloudy  counte- 
nance and  dismal  brow,  clothed  in  sable,  and  heaving  sighs,  with 
a  downcast  look  and  a  mournful  step,  as  if  the  world  were  one 
wide  burial-ground,  and  her  pathway  was  continually  among 
graves  ;  and  the  only  light  that  gleamed  upon  that  path  was  the 
ghastly  light  that  glimmered  in  a  charnel-house ;  and  the  only 
sound  that  met  her  ear  was  the  shriek  of  the  death  struggle,  and 
the  chant  of  the  funeral  dirge.  No ;  I  would  dip  my  pencil  in 
the  loveliest  hues  of  heaven,  to  paint  a  bright  and  beautiful  spirit 
from  the  skies,  with  the  love  of  God  sparkling  on  her  counte- 
nance, and  the  glory  of  God  beaming  on  her  brow ;  clothed  with 
garments  of  light,  and  crowned  with  a  wreath  of  amaranth ;  with 
a  smile  of  such  sweet  serenity  as  would  tell  that  all  within  was 
peace,  —  the  peace  of  God ;  and  an  aspect  of  holy  gladness 
caught  from  every  sight  of  beauty  and  every  sound  of  melody ; 
with  a  buoyant  step  becoming  a  traveller  to  the  skies,  and  an 
upward  look  raised  rejoicingly  to  Him  who  is  her  hope  and  happi- 
ness, and  to  that  heaven  from  which  she  came,  and  to  which  she 
is  returning;  walking  amidst  earth's  snares  with  white  robes 
unspotted  by  its  defilements  ;  or  descending  from  her  high  and 
holy  communings  with  God,  to  minister  to  man's  welfare  as 
heaven's  ministering  spirit  of  mercy;  entering  the  abodes  of 
misery,  and  making  the  broken  heart  to  sing  for  joy ;  visiting 
the  dwellings  of  rejoicing,  and  hallowing  all  their  happiness  with 
the  smile  of  God."  Religion  is  from  heaven ;  she  walks  amidst 
the  murky  gloom  of  earth ;  she  is  the  true  philosopher's  stone, 
converting  everything  to  gold ;  she  is  described  in  our  text  as 
imparting  perpetual  joy,  —  "  Rejoice  evermore." 

If  you  want  this  perpetual  joy,  you  must  cultivate  it,  —  you 
must  keep  breathing  towards  heaven  after  it.  You,  I  say,  must 
cultivate  it ;  and,  like  everything  else,  it  will  improve  by  prac- 
tice. There  are  within  your  reach  thousands  of  considerations 
calculated  to  increase  your  joy  —  considerations  from  within, 
without,  the  past,  the  present,  the  future,  hell,  earth,  heaven. 


THE    STANDING    DOUBT.  15 

and  one  spot  above  all  others  —  Calvary.  Very  few  seem  to 
understand  this  happy  philosophy,  —  very  few  learn  this  blessed 
art ;  and,  consequently,  they  are  up  one  day  and  down  another. 
Life  with  them  is  a  checkered  scene,  full  of  lights  and  shadows ; 
sadness,  gloom,  and  despair,  mingled  with  a  few  gleams  of  joy. 
Sorrow,  how^ever,  extends  its  dark  shadow  over  the  greater  part 
of  life,  and  the  sunny  spots  are  few  and  far  between.  For  a 
long  time  this  was  my  own  experience  ;  sometimes  I  was  hap- 
py, but  the  momentary  joy  I  felt  was  followed  by  days  of  dark- 
ness and  distress.  But  God  has  led  me  into  a  higher  and  hap- 
pier state.  My  soul  is  very  happy.  O,  how  constantly  happy 
am  I !  I  have  proved  it  by  sea  and  by  land,  in  perils  and  in 
sunshine.  I  have  been  brought  into  circumstances  where  all 
human  helps  failed  ;  and,  when  death  has  threatened,  my  soul 
has  been  happy.  I  have  been  wandering  for  some  time  a  stran- 
ger in  a  strange  land,  but  the  joy  of  the  Lord  has  been  my 
strength ;  my  strength  in  travelling,  in  laboring,  in  suffering ; 
my  strength  in  praying,  in  preaching ;  and,  when  the  last  mor- 
tal struggle  shall  come,  —  when  death  shall  chill  the  current  of 
life,  —  when  my  heart  and  flesh  shall  fail,  I  doubt  not  but  even 
then  the  joy  of  the  Lord  shall  be  my  strength.  The  joy  of  the 
Lord  is  a  spring  of  happiness;  rainbow-like,  it  shines  brightest 
amidst  the  darkest  gloom,  and  death  itself  will  only  make  it 
celestial  and  immortal. 

You  never  glorify  God  by  fretting  away  your  little  hour,  and 
by  murmuring  at  your  lot.  If  a  gentleman  turns  out  his  ser- 
vants thin,  lean,  meagre,  shabbily  dressed,  and  ill-favored,  the 
people  say,  "  Ah,  they  have  a  poor  shop  of  it !  We  don't  envy 
them  their  lot !  Their  looks  tell  what  sort  of  a  master  they 
have."  But,  if  he  turns  them  out  well  clothed,  with  fine  ruddy 
countenances,  robust,  strong,  and  healthy  in  appearance,  "  Ah  !" 
say  the  people,  "  they  have  rare  times ;  they  do  their  master 
credit ;  it 's  worth  while  being  a  servant  to  such  a  master  as  that !" 
It  is  the  happy  Christian  that  honors  his  religion  and  his  God. 
The  world  sees  that  he  has  happiness  to  which  they  are  stran- 
gers. "  Rejoice  in  the  Lord  always,  and  again  I  say  rejoice." 
Phil.  4:4.     "  O  come,  and  let  us  sing  unto  the  Lord ;  let  us 


16  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

make  a  joyful  noise  to  the  Rock  of  our  salvation."  Ps.  95:  1. 
"  Make  a  joyful  noise  unto  the  Lord,  all  ye  lands ;  serve  the 
Lord  with  gladness,  and  come  before  his  presence  with  singing." 
Ps.  98 :  4.  "  Be  glad  in  the  Lord  and  rejoice>  ye  righteous, 
and  shout  for  joy  all  ye  that  are  upright  in  heart."  Ps.  33 : 
1.  "  Let  the  saints  be  joyful  in  glory,  let  them  sing  aloud  upon 
their  beds."  Ps.  149 :  5.  "Finally,  my  brethren,  rejoice  in  the 
Lord."  Phil.  3:1.  "  Let  the  priests  be  clothed  with  righteous- 
ness, and  shout  aloud  for  joy."     "  Rejoice  evermore." 

"  Do  you  think,"  inquires  one,  "  that  all  Christians  have  this 
joy  ?  "  I  answer  no  ;  I  never  thought  so.  If  you  could  follow 
many  of  them  into  the  domestic  circle,  —  into  the  scenes  of  busi- 
ness, — could  you  draw  aside  the  veil  and  look  at  them  there, 
would  you  hear  expressions  of  joy  breaking  forth  from  their  lips  ? 
No;  you  would  hear  grumbling  —  grumbling  —  grumbling  at 
everything.  If  this  gloomy,  repining  state  of  mind,  in  which 
multitudes  of  professing  Christians  indulge,  were  put  into  words, — 
if  what  the  heart  says  —  for  the  heart  often  says  to  God  what 
the  lips  would  not  for  worlds  utter ;  and,  remember,  God  is  always 
listening  to  the  silent  but  most  expressive  language  of  the  heart, 
—  now,  a  believer's  heart  when  repining,  says  to  God  (oh,  may 
yours  never  speak  it  to  him !)  "  God  of  all  my  blessings  —  God 
of  my  salvation  !  I  believe  that  the  disposal  of  all  the  events  of 
my  life  is  in  thy  hands,  and  that  thou  hast  promised  to  make 
them  all  work  together  for  my  good  ;  but  still  I  am  so  dissatis- 
fied with  the  manner  in  which  thou  art  arranging  those  events, — 
there  is  so  much  undeserved  harshness,  unnecessary  severity, 
in  thy  dealings  with  me, —  that  I  wish  either  that  thou  wouldst 
alter  thy  mode  of  treatment,  or  that  4he  guardianship  were 
taken  out  of  thy  hands." 

Is  not  this  the  appalling  language  of  a  repining  heart  ?  Ought 
he  ever  to  read  it  in  your  heart,  believer,  who  for  your  everlasting 
happiness  has  drained  the  life-blood  of  his  own  ?  Think,  then, 
how  it  must  wound  him  to  look  into  your  heart,  and  see  that, 
after  all  he  has  done,  all  he  has  suffered  for  you,  he  has  failed 
to  win  for  himself  your  acquiescence,  your  confidence,  your  su- 
preme affection  !     Well,  whatever  be  the  course  you  pursue,  here 


THE    STANDING    DOUBT.  17 

is  God's  will  about  you,  —  "  Rejoice  evermore,  pray  without 
ceasing,  in  everything  give  thanks  :  for  this  is  the  will  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus  concerning  you."  Here  is  the  will,  signed,  sealed, 
and  delivered  over  to  you.     "  Rejoice  evermore." 

This  is  the  will  of  God  concerning  you,  —  but  when  ?  When 
you  come  up  to  heaven  ?  No ;  I  answer,  nmv !  It  is  God's 
will  this  moment  concerning  you ;  and  he  now  holds  down  to 
you  a  bunch  of  grapes  —  a  bunch  with  three  as  fine  grapes  as 
ever  grew  in  any  part  of  the  sunny  world.  He  bids  you  gather 
them  and  eat.  He  places  them  near  —  within  your  reach.  He 
offers  them  freely.  He  bids  you  gather,  and  eat,  and  live  for- 
ever !  —  continued  joy,  unceasing  prayer,  perpetual  thanksgiv- 
ing. Get  this  joy ;  it  will  be  to  you  what  the  wings  are  to  the 
bird.  The  bird  does  not  feel  his  wings ;  they  carry  themselves  and 
him  too.  The  ship  does  not  feel  the  weight  of  the  sails ;  the 
sails  carry  themselves,  and  waft  on  the  vessel  too.  The  joy  of 
the  Lord,  as  a  heavenly  breeze,  will  waft  you  onward.  God  says 
to  you,  "  Come,  and  I  will  show  you  the  length  and  the  breadth 
of  Immanuel's  land."  The  church  of  Christ  is  rising  to  a  better 
understanding  of  her  privileges.  I  have  been,  within  the  last 
few  years,  travelling  many  thousands  of  miles,  and  I  have  been 
astonished  to  see  what  multitudes  of  people,  in  different  places 
around  this  planet,  are  gathering  to  the  Great  Messiah.  The 
Lord  hasten  the  time  when  all  shall  know  him ! 

II. —  State  the  reason  why  so  many  professors  do  not  attain  to 
this  happy  state  of  experience. 

First.  Many  professors  in  the  Christian  church  have  never 
been  born  again.  This  is  a  fact  as  true  as  it  is  painful.  Con- 
science lifts  up  its  warning  voice  ;  the  Spirit  flashes  conviction 
across  their  minds ;  or,  under  somfe  alarming  providence  or  Holy 
Ghost  sermon,  they  become  alarmed, —  convinced  of  sin,  —  and, 
under  the  influence  of  these  feelings,  they  connect  themselves  with 
the  people  of  God,  and  suppose  that  all  is  right.  They  are  de- 
ceived, and  they  deceive  others.  'Tis  true  there  is  a  great 
change  in  them,  a  change  pervading  their  whole  conduct.  'Tis 
true  there  is  stillness,  but  it  is  the  stiUness  of  death  ;  there  is 
peace,  but  it  is  the  peace  of  the  tomb.     The  circle  of  ceremonies 


18  REVIVAL     MISCELLANIES. 

is  filled  up,  but  you  never  hear  them  say,  "  O,  how  I  loved  the 
closet !  All  hail,  sacred  hour  of  devotion !  "  Were  you  to  listen 
ever  so  attentively,  you  would  never  hear  them  exclaiming, 
"O,  precious  Sabbath!  how  calm,  how  sacred,,  how  holy,  thy 
hands!  how  my  soul  revels  in  thy  hallowed  exercises! 
When  wilt  thou  arrive  ? "  No ;  their  religion  is  a  reli- 
gion of  fear,  and  all  the  hopes  they  have  of  heaven  are  based 
on  their  fancied  freedom  from  evil  —  on  reformation  —  on  pro- 
fession. They  are  proof  against  every  argument,  and  every 
appeal :  their  profession  acts  like  a  lightning  conductor.  See ! 
see  !  that  old  thatched  house  there  in  the  distance.  Look  close- 
ly at  it,  and  you  will  see  a  little  black  rod  running  up  along  the 
side  o£it,  from  the  bottom  to  the  very  top,  and  extending  itself 
above  the  chimney.  It  is  a  lightning  conductor ;  it  attracts  and 
leads  off  the  burning  element.  Ah  !  your  profession  has  many 
a  time  acted  like  the  lightning  conductor.  When  God's  ser- 
vants, under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  have  made  the 
lightnings  of  divine  truth  flash  upon  you  that  would  have  de- 
molished your  refuge  of  lies,  discovered  to  you  your  guilty  state, 
and  have  led  you  to  the  blood  of  Christ,  up  went  your  lightning 
conductor,  and  every  impression  was  evaded.  You  know  nothing 
of  deep,  solid,  spiritual  joy;  you  cannot  rejoice  evermore  ;  and 
one  reason  is,  you  have  never  been  bom  again ;  and,  until  this 
is  the  case,  you  may  as  well  try  to  unite  Jire  and  watery  heaven 
and  hell,  as  try  to  rejoice  evermore.  Bring  together  wind 
and  water,  and  you  will  have  a  storm ;  bring  into  contact  fire 
and  water,  and  you  will  have  a  commotion ;  bring  the  holy  prin- 
ciples of  Christianity  and  an  unholy  heart,  and  you  will  have  a 
commotion,  a  storm,  a  tempest ;  they  cannot  agree,  they  cannot 
harmonize ;  either  you  must  change  the  religion  or  change  the 
heart  —  they  cannot  unite.  I  tell  you,  you  may  as  well  try  to 
make  the  poles  meet,  stop  the  winds  in  their  course,  roll  back 
the  tide,  or  pluck  the  sun  from  the  heavens,  as  perpetually  to 
rejoice  without  the  new  birth.  "  Marvel  not  that  I  say  unto  you, 
ye  must  be  born  again." 

2.  Another  reason  why  so  many  professors  do  not  rejoice  ever- 
more is,  they  have  a  standing  doubt  of  their  acceptance  with 


THE    STANDING    DOUBT.  19 

God  —  a  doubt  as  to  whether  they  are  born  again  ;  and  there- 
fore they  cannot  rejoice  evermore.  Now,  that  is  a  bit  of  real 
mental  philosophy.  "What  do  you  mean,"  says  one,  "by  a 
standing  doubt  ? "  I  mean  that  the  doubt  has  something  to 
stand  upon ;  that  is,  you  cannot  tell  the  time  and  place  of  your 
conversion.  "Yes,"  says  one,  "I  can  tell  the  very  time  and 
place  where  God  pardoned  my  sins,  but  I  cannot  rejoice  ever- 
more." Ah !  I  know  what  you  are ;  you  are  a  backslider  !  The 
devil  could  tell  you  that  he  was  once  in  heaven — once  a  son 
of  the  morning  —  once  an  archangel  in  glory  ;  that  he  once  sung 
sweetly  amidst  the  bowers  of  Eden ;  that  he  once  raised  the 
high  hallelujahs  of  heaven ;  but  what  of  that  ?  he  is  a  devil  now. 
And  what  is  it  that  you  can  tell  the  time,  place,  and  circum- 
stances of  your  conversion ;  —  you  are  a  backslider  now ! 

A  STANDING  DOUBT  !  When  did  you  get  converted  ?  In  what 
year  of  our  Lord  was  it  ?  In  what  month  ?  On  what  day  was 
it  ?  In  what  place  ?  In  what  town  did  it  happen  ?  You  know 
the  place  of  your  natural  birth.  You  could  point  out  the  place, 
town,  room,  hour,  and  perhaps  the  very  minute  ;  and  probably 
you  keep  an  anniversary  of  your  birth-day.  O  !  I  love  to  see 
families  do  that ;  I  love  to  hear  the  voice  of  joy  and  melody  in 
their  tabernacles,  while  they  commemorate  the  birth-day  of  one 
of  the  happy  group.  You  do  this,  but  then  you  have  no  spirit- 
ual birth-day  anniversary. 

"  But,  sir,"  says  one,  "  is  that  essential  to  religion  ? "  I  an- 
swer,—  Why  —  no,  no,  not  essential  like  repentance  and  faith  ; 
but  very  desirable.  I  have  carefully  examined  this  point ;  I 
have  had  an  opportunity  of  conversing  with  some  thousands  on 
the  state  of  their  experience  ;  and  I  am  prepared  to  affirm,  that 
in  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a  hundred  where  they  could  not  tell 
the  time  and  place  of  their  spiritual  birth,  I  have  found  them  in 
a  very  uncertain  and  doubtful  state  of  experience.  While  I  was 
dining,  the  other  day,  at  a  friend's  house,  the  wife  and  children 
were  all  looking  cheerful  and  happy,  the  husband  very  de- 
pressed and  melancholy ;  presently  he  looked  at  me  and  said, 
"  O,  sir !  I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  this  preaching .''  you 
have  completely  shut  me  up  in  a  comer,  and  you  only  just  left 


20  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

me  one  little  loophole  to  creep  out  at."  Whatever  may  be  the 
depressions  produced  in  minds  by  this  kind  of  preaching,  such 
is  the  fact,  — just  about  one  out  of  a  hundred  !  I  hold  that  the 
work  of  conversion  is  so  momentous,  that  no  man  can  pass 
through  it,  and  not  know  it.  The  Bible  speaks  of  it  as  a  pass- 
ing from  darkness  to  light ;  from  the  devil  to  Christ ;  from 
bondage  to  liberty ;  from  death  to  life  !  You  cannot  drink  the 
wormwood  and  the  gall,  you  cannot  cry  for  mercy,  you  cannot 
experience  the  new  creation,  —  you  cannot  pass  through  all  these 
asleep.  Is  there  a  sailor  here  ?  I  believe  there  is.  Do  you 
remember  when  your  vessel  dashed  upon  a  rock,  and  became  a 
wreck?  Plunged  in  the  boiling  deep,  you  struggled  through 
the  foaming  waves,  and  reached  that  rock.  There  you  sat 
down,  drenched,  chilled,  exhausted ;  you  expected  to  perish. 
A  vessel  hove  in  sight;  you  waved  your  handkerchief;  one  of 
the  crew  saw  you  ;  the  boat  was  lowered  ;  the  rope  was  thrown 
out  to  you ;  you  tied  it  round  your  waist,  and  sprang  into  the 
sea ;  you  were  drawn  out  and  saved.  Can  you  forget  that 
deliverance  ?  No,  —  never !  never  !  While  memory  holds  its 
seat,  it  will  be  engraven  there.  And,  I  ask  the  professor,  can 
you  forget  when  you  were  pardoned?  when  you  were  saved 
from  hell  ?  when  you  obtained  a  title  to  heaven  ?  when  you 
underwent  the  change  that  determines  your  destiny  ?  But, 
ah  !  you  cannot  recollect  the  time  and  place  of  that  great  event. 
There  is  still  that  standing  doubt ;  like  Aaron's  rod,  it  swallows 
up  everything.  Like  Pharaoh's  seven  lean  kine,  it  devours  all ; 
it  follows  you  Hke  your  shadow.  You  retire  to  your  closet  to 
hold  communion  with  God ;  you  confess  your  failing ;  you  look 
at  the  great  blessings  of  salvation ;  your  soul  kindles  with 
strong  desire ;  you  ask  God  to  bestow  these  blessings  upon 
you ;  but  up  comes  the  standing  doubt.  You  come  to  the  house 
of  God;  you  hear  the  messenger  of  heaven  opening  up  the 
great  privileges  of  the  saints ;  you  see  how  infinitely  superior 
they  are  to  aught  that  earth  can  bestow ;  and  you  would  re- 
joice, —  but  there  's  that  standing  doubt.  Then  you  think  of. 
heaven  —  of  that  better  land  —  of  the  society  of  the  blessed  — 
of  the  employment  of  the  redeemed  —  of  the  visions  of  God  — 


THE    STANDING    DOUBT.  21 

of  the  eternity  of  glory  —  of  the  fadeless  crowns  :  you  would 
bless  God  for  the  prospect,  and  "  break  out  into  a  song,"  but  up 
comes  the  standing  doitbt^  —  perhaps  I  am  not  a  Christian;  if 
not,  the  heaven  is  not  mine.  You  think  of  hell,  the  fire,  the 
gnawing  worm,  the  burning  wrath  of  God,  the  society  of  devils, 
the  cry  of  despair,  the  shrieks  of  the  lost,  the  bowlings  of  the 
damned,  the  eternity  of  death,  the  universal  wail,  the  groans  of 
boundless  woe  awakening,  echoing,  rolling  around  the  world  of 
death.  "  But,  ah !  "  say  you,  "  I  am  a  professor ;  I  am  a 
Christian  ;  I  shall  be  saved  from  that  hell."  But  up  comes  the 
standing  doubt,  "Perhaps  I  am;  I  think  I  am;  I  trust  I  am; 
but  I  don't  know."  Well,  then,  't  is  only  "  Perhaps  I  shall  es- 
cape it ;  I  think  I  shall  escape  it ;  I  trust  I  shall  escape  it ;  but 
I  don't  know."  Ah  !  there  's  the  standing  doubt !  You  can- 
not rejoice  evermore. 

Get  this  matter  settled;  get  it  settled  at  once.  End  this 
controversy  with  Heaven.  Fly,  fly  to  the  blood  —  the  blood  — 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  I  tell  you,  if  you  take  not  care,  this 
standing  doubt  will  get  you  into  hell,  after  all.  Now,  you  are 
pardoned,  or  you  are  not  pardoned ;  you  are  condemned,  or  you 
are  justified.  If  there  was  a  world  where  there  was  neither  a 
God  nor  a  Devil,  —  neither  sin  nor  holiness,  —  if  there  was 
some  middle  state,  some  border  land,  where  you  would  be 
asked  no  questions  about  your  conduct,  —  where  there  would  be 
no  open  books,  no  judgment  day,  —  then  you  might  have  gone 
on  with  this  standing  doubt.  But  there  is  no  border  land. 
There  is,  however,  a  judgment  day.  There  are  books  to  be 
opened.  There  is  a  Judge  —  an  omniscient  Judge.  And  it 's  all 
near  at  hand.  O  !  will  you  get  this  standing  doubt  removed  ? 
Will  you  get  this  great  question  set  at  rest  ? 


SERMON  II. 

THE   OMNIPOTENCE   OF   FAITH. 

Therefore,  I  say  unto  you,  what  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that 
ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them. —  Mark  U  :  24. 

The  congregation  will  recollect  that  these  words  were  spoken 
by  the  Saviour,  as  he  was  passing  from  the  Mount  of  Olives 
to  Jerusalem.  By  the  wayside  he  saw  a  fig-tree  which  looked 
beautiful,  and  doubtless  gave  signs  of  fruit  upon  it ;  and,  being 
hungry,  he  looked  up  among  the  leaves  for  fruit,  but  there  was 
none ;  and  he  said,  "  No  man  eat  fruit  of  thee  henceforth  for- 
ever." He  killed  the  tree,  but  taught  a  great  doctrine.  The 
next  morning,  as  Christ  and  his  disciples  were  passing  by,  Peter 
remembered  that  the  tree  had  been  cursed ;  he  looked  at  it,  and 
said,  "  Master,  it  is  withered,"  withered  from  top  to  bottom,  dried 
up  from  the  roots,  cursed.  Jesus  said  unto  them,  "  Have  faith 
in  God ;  for  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  whosoever  shall  say  unto 
this  mountain,  be  thou  removed,  and  be  thou  cast  into  the  sea, 
and  shall  not  doubt  in  his  heart,  but  shall  believe  that  those 
things  which  he  saith  shall  come  to  pass,  he  shall  have  whatso- 
ever he  saith.  Therefore,  I  say  unto  you,  what  things  soever 
ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye 
shall  have  them."  I  should  like  to  say  to  this  audience,  that 
whenever  our  Saviour  said,  "  Verily,  verily,"  he  was  about  to 
deliver  some  very  important  truth.  He  was  now  teaching  the 
omnipotence  of  faith. 

In  Manchester,  within  the  last  few  days,  many  things  have 
been  said  about  sudden  conversion.  An  old  lady  said  to  me, 
"  Why,  JMr.  C,  I  hear  that  you  are  converting  them  by  scores, 
and  by  hundreds.  I  don't  understand  this  sudden  conversion." 
I  answer,  there  is  no  such  a  thing  in  the  Scripture  as  gradual 


THE    OMNIPOTENCE    OF    FAITH.  23 

conversion,  or  gradual  purity  ;  there  must  be  a  last  moment  when 
sin  exists,  and  a  first  moment  when  it  does  not ;  and  this  must 
take  place  in  time,  for  one  moment  after  death  would  be  too 
late,  unless  we  believe  in  purgatory.  Pardon  and  purity  are 
doctrines  clearly  taught  in  the  Bible  ;  and,  in  the  very  nature  of 
things,  they  must  be  sudden  in  their  attainment.  Our  text  is  the 
great  polar  star  of  our  salvation.  You  will  remember  it  is  re- 
corded in  the  life  of  Napoleon,  when  he  was  contemplating  the 
Russian  campaign,  his  uncle.  Cardinal  Fesch,  endeavored  to  dis- 
suade him  from  it.  Napoleon's  words  are  these :  "  Am  I  to 
blame  because  the  great  degree  of  power  I  have  already  attained 
forces  me  to  assume  the  dictatorship  of  the  world  ?  My  destiny 
is  not  yet  accomplished  ;  my  present  situation  is  but  a  sketch  of 
the  picture  which  I  must  finish.  There  must  be  one  universal 
European  code  —  one  court  of  appeal.  The  same  money,  the 
same  weights  and  measures,  the  same  laws,  must  have  currency 
throughout  Europe.  I  must  make  one  nation  out  of  all  the 
European  states,  and  Paris  must  be  the  capital  of  the  world." 

His  uncle  remonstrated  with  him,  and  conjured  him  not  to 
tempt  Providence  —  not  to  defy  Heaven  and  earth,  the  wrath 
of  man  and  the  fury  of  the  elements  ;  at  the  same  time,  he  also 
expressed  his  fear  that  he  would  sink  under  the  difficulties. 
The  only  answer  which  Napoleon  gave  was  in  keeping  with 
his  character.  He  led  the  cardinal  to  the  window,  and  opening 
the  casement,  he  pointed  upward,  and  asked  him  "  If  he  saw 
yonder  star?"  "No,  sire,"  answered  the  astonished  cardinal. 
"  But  I  see  it,"  answered  Napoleon. 

We  point  you  to  our  text  as  the  great  polar  star  of  faith,  the 
great  charter  for  believing,  —  containing  a  principle  on  which 
slumbers  Omnipotence,  —  as  the  medium  that  links  man  to  the 
throne  of  the  Great  Eternal,  connecting  man  with  God. 

Archimedes,  when  he  discovered  the  power  of  the  lever,  said, 
"  If  you  can  find  me  a  fulcrum  to  rest  my  lever  upon,  I  can 
move  the  world."  "  What  is  a  fulcrum  ? "  says  one.  I  an- 
swer, a  point  or  centre  on  which  a  lever  turns.  "  And  what  is 
a  lever  ? "  I  answer,  a  bar,  or  mechanical  power  by  which 
great  weights  are  moved. 


24  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

Our  text  is  the  fulcrum  —  faith  is  the  lever ;  and  with  it  we 
can  move  two  worlds  at  once,  and  hell  into  the  bargain.  "  What 
things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive 
them,  and  ye  shall  have  them." 

Before  we  discuss  this  subject,  we  want  to  ask  a  few  questions. 
There  are,  perhaps,  persons  here  belonging  to  other  denomina- 
tions. You  may  be  Calvinists,  and  as  good,  I  hope,  as  any  of 
us.  You  may,  however,  differ  from  me  on  doctrinal  points ; 
and,  to  do  you  good,  I  should  have  to  argue  with  you  half  an 
hour,  and  then  perhaps  leave  you  as  I  found  you.  Well,  I  leave 
all  controversy  with  the  pastors ;  but  I  want  to  beg  just  two 
things  of  you.  First,  go  with  me  as  far  as  you  can ;  and  the 
second  is,  get  all  the  good  you  can. 

There  are  also  some  backsliders  here.  Are  you  willing  to 
come  back  ?  "  Yes,"  says  one,  "  I  am,  I  am ;  for  I  have  had  a 
miserable  life  of  it." 

And  you  who  are  seeking  pardon,  I  want  to  ask  you  a  ques- 
tion. "  Pardon ! "  says  one ;  "  why,  my  heart  is  as  hard  as  a 
flint."  Well,  if  God  shall  convert  your  soul  before  I  leave  this 
place,  will  you  meet  me  in  the  school-room  at  the  close  of  this 
service  to  let  me  know  it  ?  Will  you  do  it  ?  Well,  I  believe 
you  will. 

And  you  who  are  seeking  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  and  purity 
of  heart.  If  God  shall  purify  your  heart  before  I  leave  this 
place,  will  you  meet  me  at  the  close  of  this  service  and  let  me 
know  it  ?  You  will  all  do  it,  will  you  ?  Well,  I  will  trust 
to  your  honor.  Says  one,  "  Then  you  are  expecting  souls  to  be 
saved  before  you  leave  the  pulpit,  are  you  ?  "  I  am,  I  am  ex- 
pecting it ;  and  heaven  expects  it,  and  hell  expects  it.  I  believe 
we  shall  have  souls  saved  ere  I  leave  this  place.  Lord,  help  ! 
Holy  Ghost,  help  !  "  What  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye 
pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them." 

I.  Is  THERE  ANY  DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN  FAITH  AND  BELIEV- 
ING ? 

I  answer,  yes ;  just  as  much  as  between  water  at  rest  and 
water  in  motion  —  wind  at  rest  and  wind  in  motion.     Believing 


THE    OMNIPOTENCE    OF    FAITH.  25 

is  the  application  of  faith  to  some  truth.  Believing  is  faith  in 
motion.  There  may  be  ever  so  much  faith,  and  no  believing. 
It  is  not  enough  that  there  be  a  general  conviction  that  God  is 
true  ;  that  the  Bible  is  a  revelation  from  him  ;  that  the  invisible 
things  of  which  the  Bible  speaks  are  realities  :  there  may  be  all 
this,  and  yet  no  salvation.  God  has  given  us  his  testimony  that 
Jesus  Christ  died  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  every  man,  and  con- 
sequently for  me.  Faith,  then,  is  putting  confidence  in  God's 
testimony  ;  it  is  to  be  understood  in  a  plain,  common-sense  way. 
The  Bible  was  written  for  the  people  —  the  common  people  — 
the  mass  ;  and  if  God  has  not  meant  the  word  faith  to  be  under- 
stood in  a  common-sense  way,  he  would  have  prefaced  the  Bible 
with  a  dictionary,  and  have  explained  the  nature  of  believing; 
but,  as  there  is  no  such  an  explanation  given,  we  infer  that  we 
are  to  understand  it  just  as  it  is  understood  in  ordinary  language 
among  men.  As  to  the  mystery  of  faith,  there  is  no  mystery 
about  it.  Just  put  confidence  in  God  as  you  would  in  a  friend. 
Unbelief  is  the  great  sin  of  the  age  —  the  sin  that  shuts  up 
heaven  —  the  plague-spot  of  eternal  death  on  the  soul  —  the 
sinner^ s  mittimus  to  hell  written  in  his  heart —  the  sin  that  damns 
the  soul.  On  the  other  hand,  faith  opens  the  hand  of  God, 
secures  salvation,  conquers  hell,  and  places  the  soul  on  the  throne 
of  God.  Believing,  then,  is  faith  in  motion  —  faith  laying  hold 
on  the  testimony  of  God. 

II.    Is    FAITH   THE    GIFT    OF    GoD  ? 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  controversy  in  the  world  on  this  ques- 
tion —  in  America,  in  England,  and  especially  in  Scotland.  Is 
faith  the  gift  of  God,  or  is  it  not  ?  I  answer,  everything  that  is 
good  in  man  is  from  God  ;  and  everything  that  is  bad  in  him  is 
from  the  devil,  and  himself.  I  am  exceedingly  jealous  of  every- 
thing that  seems  to  rob  God  of  a  particle  of  the  glory  of  a  sin- 
ner's salvation.  But  in  what  sense  is  faith  the  gift  of  God  ?  I 
answer,  believing  is  the  gift  of  the  God  of  grace  just  in  the  same 
sense  as  breathing,  walking,  eating,  hearing,  seeing,  are  the 
gifts  of  the  God  of  nature.  It  is  plain  to  every  man's  common 
sense,  that  while  the  power  to  perform  these  acts  is  from  God, 
3 


26  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

the  acts  themselves  are  purely  his  own.  As  God  does  not 
breathe,  walk,  eat,  hear,  see  for  us,  neither  does  he  believe  for 
us.  God  has  given  man  a  capacity  to  believe ;  viz.,  a  mind  to 
weigh  evidence,  and  to  receive  truth  when  supported  by  evidence. 
He  has  given  the  object  of  faith ;  viz.,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
which  is  like  a  great  sun  risen  upon  our  world. 

We  infer,  then,  as  God  has  given  the  capacity,  the  evidence, 
the  object,  and  as  he  has  laid  the  responsibility  on  man ;  as  the 
sentence  of  the  last  judgment  turns  on  this  point;  as  salvation 
or  damnation  is  suspended  on  believing  or  non-believing,  the  act 
of  faith  must  be  possible  —  must  be  a  man's  own.  O,  how  im- 
portant it  is  that  you  understand  what  is  God's  part,  and  what 
is  your  part,  in  this  matter  !  —  that  you  should  see  the  folly  of 
indulging  in  unbelief,  under  the  delusion  that  God  has  not  given 
you  faith  !  How  many  on  this  vital  point  have  been  deceived  ! 
How  many  of  the  slain  has  the  grave  closed  over  !  How  many, 
as  they  rushed  into  eternity,  and  as  the  gleams  of  immortal  light 
flashed  upon  them,  and  dispelled  the  delusions  that  ruined  them, 
uttered  a  death-howl^  went  down  damned,  and  more  than  blood 
was  shed!  What  could  God  have  done,  to  enable  you  to  believe, 
that  he  has  not  done  ?  If  all  things  be  ready,  then,  why  tarry  ? 
Why  wait  ?  Believe  and  be  saved.  "  What  things  soever  ye 
desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ^  shall 
have  them." 

III.  How  CAN  YOU  ACCOUNT  FOR  IT  THAT  THERE  IS  IN  SOME 
A  GREATER  APTNESS  TO  BELIEVE  THAN  IN  OTHERS? 

Some  account  for  it  on  the  ground  of  constitutional  differ- 
ences. I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it ;  I  don't  believe  that  one 
man  is  born  with  greater  constitutional  tendency  to  believe  than 
another.  Others  account  for  it  on  the  ground  of  divine  partial- 
ity. I  answer,  there  is  no  partiality  in  God,  except  such  as 
you  make  yourselves.  God  is  partial  to  them  that  believe  his 
word;  hence  it  is  written,  "  He  that  believeth  shall  be  saved." 

We  may,  in  some  measure,  account  for  this  inaptness  to  be- 
lieve, on  the  ground  of  the  pride  of  intellect.  "  0  !  "  says  one, 
"  I  am  not  like  one  of  the  simple  herd  of  mankind,  who  can  re- 


THE    OMNIPOTENCE    OF    FAITH.  27 

ceive  for  truth  every  silly  notion  announced  to  them.  I  must 
have  evidence — good  sound  argument;  I  must  be  convinced 
before  1  can  believe." 

"  Well,"  you  say,  "  do  you  despise  me  for  that  ?  "  No ;  I 
honor  a  thinking  man ;  but  you  pride  yourself  above  the  com- 
mon mass,  and  you  will  not  come  down  to  receive  God's  plain, 
simple  testimony.  God  says,  "  What  things  soever  ye  desire 
when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have 
them,"  and  you  refuse  to  believe  this  testimony. 

"  Well,"  says  another,  "  some  have  a  weak  faith,  and  some  a 
strong  faith ;  how  do  you  account  for  that  ?  "  I  answer,  the 
one  has  an  exercised  faith,  and  the  other  a  non-exercised  faith, 
and  that  is  the  reason  why  there  is  a  greater  aptness  to  believe 
in  one  than  in  another.  Look  yonder  at  that  blacksmith,  wield- 
ing the  heavy  hammer  from  hour  to  hour,  and  that  without  any 
injury  or  inconvenience.  Were  you  to  labor  with  that  hammer 
for  one  half  an  hour,  you  would  be  so  stiff,  the  next  morning,  that 
you  would  scarcely  be  able  to  lift  your  hand  to  your  head ;  but 
the  blacksmith  is  up  and  at  it,  the  next  morning,  as  lively  as  ever ; 
exercise  has  made  the  difference.  Take  another  illustration. 
Suppose  a  mother  to  bandage  her  son  till  it  is  thirteen  years 
old,  beginning  at  his  feet,  bandaging  him  up  clean  to  his  chin, 
like  an  Egyptian  mummy.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  she  removes 
the  bandage,  and  says,  "  Now,  my  son,  run  forth  and  play  with 
other  children."  Why,  it  cannot  move ;  its  joints  are  stiff;  it 
is  a  complete  cripple.  Ah,  some  of  you  have  been  in  bandages 
all  your  life  ;  you  are  spiritual  cripples.  Glory  be  to  God,  if 
you  will  but  believe,  he  will  set  your  joints  all  right,  and  put 
strength  in  your  limbs.  "  What  things  soever  ye  desire  when 
ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them." 
What  does  another  mother  do  with  her  weakly  child  ?  Why, 
she  sets  him  on  his  feet,  and  holds  out  one  finger  to  him,  and 
says,  "  Now,  my  dear,  try."  Down  he  tumbles.  She  sets  him 
up  again.  —  "  Come,  come,  my  son ;  try,  try  again."  (Ah,  you 
see  he  is  very  weakly  yet ! )  He  tries  again,  and  down  he  goes. 
"  Come,  come,  my  son ;  try  once  more.  There,  now,  —  that 's 
better !  "     Soon  he  reaches  from  chair  to  chair  ;  and,  if  you  don't 


28  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

take  care  of  him,  he  is  out  of  doors  among  the  wheels.  That 
mother  knows  the  philosophy  of  getting  strength.  He  gets 
strength.  "  What  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe 
that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them." 

IV.  Are  the  objects  of  faith  limited  ? 

Can  I  believe  for  what  I  like,  and  have  it  ?  I  answer,  no ;  on 
temporal  matters  you  must  put  in  an  if.  I  was  coming,  the  other 
day,  from  Ireland,  in  a  steamer ;  I  generally  suffer  dreadfully 
from  sea-sickness.  I  therefore  asked  the  Lord  to  let  us  have  a 
calm  sea ;  yet  I  did  not  know  but  that  many  ships  might  be  lying 
outside  the  port  loaded  with  corn,  and  would  want  a  wind  to 
blow  them  up  to  give  food  to  the  starving  people,  and  I  would 
not  have  the  people  perish  to  save  me  from  sickness  ;  therefore, 
I  had  to  put  in  an  if.  Still,  I  believe  we  may  get  the  full  as- 
surance of  faith  even  fot  temporal  matters.  That  mother  may, 
for  the  safety  of  her  son ;  that  wife,  for  the  deliverance  of  her 
husband.  There 's  an  instance  in  the  life  of  Luther  of  the  as- 
surance of  faith  in  prayer.  Miconius  was  ill  with  a  swelling  in 
his  throat,  given  up  by  the  medical  men,  and  appeared  to  be  on 
the  borders  of  death.  Luther  prayed  for  him,  and  said,  "  Lord, 
Miconius  is  necessary  to  thy  church;  thy  work  cannot  go  on 
without  him."  He  felt  he  had  hold  of  God,  and  he  said,  "  Mico- 
nius shall  not  die,  but  live."  Intimation  of  the  confidence  of 
Luther  for  Miconius  was  sent  to  the  latter,  and  he  was  so 
excited  that  the  swelling  burst,  and  his  life  was  spared. 

In  a  German  work  there  is  a  circumstance  recorded  of  a 
mother  who  was  lying  on  what  seemed  to  be  the  bed  of  death. 
Her  little  daughter,  about  five  years  of  age,  was  heard  to  pray, 
"  O,  dear  Lord  Jesus,  make  my  mother  better ! "  The  little 
child  was  heard  to  repeat  to  herself,  "  Yes,  I  will  make  your 
mother  better."  Some  would  call  this  the  child  's  superstition, 
but  I  call  it  her  faith.  The  mother  recovered.  There  was  once 
a  man  who  had  a  cancer  in  his  eyes,  and  his  eyes  were  being 
eaten  out  with  the  disease.  This  poor  man  cried  to  the  Lord, 
and  said,  "  0  Lord,  wilt  thou  let  the  cancer  eat  out  mine  eyes  ? 
Thou  wilt  not,  Lord ;  thou  wilt  put  greater  honor  on  thy  servant 


THE    OMNIPOTENCE    OF    FAITH.  29 

than  that;"  and,  to  the  astonishment  of  medical  men,  his  eyes 
were  spared.  And,  if  we  walk  closely  with  God,  we  shall  often 
get  the  full  assurance  of  faith  even  for  temporal  blessings. 

But,  in  reference  to  justification  and  holiness,  we  may  pray 
with  unlimited  faith.  "  Be  it  unto  thee  according  to  thy  faith," 
is  the  law  of  the  kingdom.  The  kingdom  of  his  grace  is  thrown 
open  to  you,  and  a  voice  from  the  throne  says,  "  Be  it  unto  thee 
even  as  thou  wilt."  The  veracity  of  God,  the  blood  of  Christ, 
yea,  every  attribute  of  the  Deity,  every  person  in  the  Godhead, 
are  pledged  to  the  fulfilment  of  this  promise.  If  you  abandon 
sin,  give  up  yourselves  to  him,  trust  in  the  blood  of  his  Son,  he 
will  save  you ;  nay,  he  doth  save  you.  There  must  be  no  ifs 
here,  no  peradventures.  Let  there  be  an  uncompromising, 
unreserved  trust  in  the  blood  of  Christ ;  and  if  the  Bible  be  a 
revelation  from  Heaven,  if  there  be  a  covenant  of  mercy,  if  there 
be  virtue  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  power  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  truth 
in  God,  you  will  be  saved.  "  What  things  soever  ye  desire 
when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have 
them." 

V.  How  CAN  WE  RECONCILE  THE  PHRASEOLOGY  OF  THE  TEXT, 
AND  BELIEVE  THAT  WE  HAVE  IN  THE  PRESENT  WHAT  IS  SPOKEN 
OF    IN    THE    FUTURE    TENSE  ? 

I  was  greatly  perplexed  on  this  point  till,  one  day,  I  happened 
to  be  in  company  with  two  ministers  :  one  was  a  Methodist,  and 
the  other  a  Baptist  brother.  The  Methodist  said  to  his  Baptist 
brother,  "  I  have  been  thinking  much  about  that  text,  '  What 
things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive 
them,  and  ye  shall  have  them.'  I  think  there  must  be  some 
mistake  about  the  translation.  Have  you  a  Greek  Testament  ?  " 
A  good  old  Greek  Testament  was  reached  down  :  the  Greek 
lexicon  and  grammar  were  also  produced,  to  examine  the  root 
and  the  tense  of  the  verb.  The  words  ntgevere  (believe),  and 
KajjSai'eTs  (receive),  were  carefully  examined.  The  Baptist 
brother  fixed  his  finger  on  the  words,  and  said,  "  It  must  be  in 
the  first  future."  "  No,"  said  the  Methodist :  "  see,  mgauv/ere, 
the  first  future,  has  a  diflferent  termination."     "  Then,"  said  he, 


30  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

"  it  must  be  in  the  first  Aorist."  "  No,  brother  :  see,  emqevxpaxe^ 
the  first  Aorist,  has  a  prefix  to  it ;  therefore  'it  cannot  be  that." 
The  Baptist  brother  said,  "  I  see  I  must  give  it  up.  The  words 
are  rightly  translated."  He  remembered  it  was  written  (Isa.  45  : 
24),  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  before  they  call  I  will 
answer,  and  while  they  are  yet  speaking  I  will  hear."  And  had 
n6t  Charles  Wesley  an  eye  to  this  passage  when  he  penned  that 
hymn,  — 

"  I  take  the  blessing  from  above. 
And  wonder  at  thy  boundless  love  "  ? 

The  Greek  scholar  can  examine  for  himself;  and  though  he 
may  have  all  the  knowledge  of  an  archangel,  I  defy  him  to  say 
that  the  passage  is  wrongly  translated.  It  is,  then,  "  What 
things  soever  ye  desire,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye 
shall  have  them."  Then  you  are  not  to  believe  that  it  was  done 
some  time  ago,  —  not  that  he  will  do  it  at  some  future  period  ; 
but  believe  that  he  doth  it  now. 

VI.  What   preparation    must  a  man  have,   in  order  to 

BELIEVE  ? 

"  What  do  you  mean,"  says  one,  "  by  a  preparation  ?  "  I 
answer,  I  mean,  how  many  tears  a  man  must  shed,  —  how  deep 
must  be  his  conviction,  —  how  soft  must  be  his  heart,  —  what 
'  amount  of  godly  sorrow  must  he  feel,  —  how  long  must  he 
remain  in  a  state  of  repentance  ?  I  have  read  this  blessed  Bible 
through  on  my  knees, —  every  word  of  it,  —  and  I  find  no  standard 
in  it ;  God  has  set  up  none.  There  is  not  a  word  said  about 
how  many  tears  a  man  must  shed,  how  soft  or  hard  the  heart 
must  be  ;  nothing  of  the  kind  :  and,  as  God  has  set  up  no  stand- 
ard, I  '11  be  the  last  man  in  the  world  to  make  one.  I  believe 
there  are  far  too  many  creeds  and  standards  floating  about  the 
Christian  church  already.  No  ;  there  is  no  spiritual  barometer 
or  thermometer ;  and  I  am  glad  of  it,  for  it  would  greatly  per- 
plex a  minister,  and  it  would  also  greatly  distress  penitent  souls. 
Some  persons  could  not  shed  a  tear,  if  you  gave  them  the  world ; 
still  the  heart  may  bleed,  while  the  eyes  are  dry.     Glory  be  to 


THE    OxMNIPOTENCE    OF    FAITH.  31 

God,  he  has  put  the  power  in  believing  —  purifying  their  hearts 
by  faith.  It  is  nowhere  said,  purifying  them  by  tears,  by  feel- 
ings, by  soft  hearts  or  hard  ones,  by  deep  convictions  or  shallow 
ones.  He  has,  however,  said,  "  What  things  soever  ye  desire 
when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have 
them."  0 !  it  is  by  faith,  by  confidence  in  God.  And  this 
method  will  meet  all  cases  —  the  case  of  the  farmer,  of  the  doc- 
tor, of  the  lawyer,  of  the  president  of  the  college,  of  the  servant, 
of  the  master,  of  the  subject,  of  the  sovereign,  of  the  little  child, 
of  the  venerable  sage,  of  the  man  of  a  b  c,  of  the  philosopher,  — 
yes,  of  all  grades  of  mind,  from  the  first  dawn  of  reason  up  to 
intellectual  noon.  "  You  do  not  mean  to  say,"  says  one,  "  that 
no  preparation  is  necessary?"  I  answer,  no,  I  do  not;  for 
where  sin  is  indulged,  God  will  never  save.  Sin  must  be  given 
up.  Many  of  the  Methodists  are  holding  on  to  sin  —  indulging 
in  things  that  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  are  holding  the 
truth  iS  unrighteousness ;  but,  thank  God,  other  denominations 
are  awakening  up  to  these  great  doctrines  —  some  of  the  Calvin- 
ists  are.  Some  of  the  Calvinist  ministers  came  to  one  of  our 
meetings,  the  other  day,  and  said,  "  Sir,  we  are  come  to  get  our 
hearts  cleansed  from  sin."  The  Calvinists  may  not  have  all 
the  clearness  on  these  great  doctrines  the  Methodists  have  ;  but 
God  will  purify  their  hearts  by  faith. 

The  Methodists  have  clear  scriptural  views  of  these  great 
doctrines ;  but  I  tell  you,  you  are  holding  on  to  things  that  will 
damn  you  j  God  would  as  soon  sanctify  the  devil  as  sanctify 
you.  I  know  what  I  say ;  I  speak  advisedly.  "  Lift  up  holy 
hands  without  wrath  and  doubting."  Lift  them  up  to  show 
that  there  is  no  iniquity  in  them.  You  may  leave  the  chapel  as 
soon  as  you  like,  or,  if  you  have  patience  to  tarry,  you  may ; 
but  I  tell  you  it  is. of  no  use  ;  God  will  never  purify  your  hearts 
till  you  give  up  the  sins  to  which  you  are  clinging.  See  that 
poor  fellow  wandering  on  through  the  wilderness ;  the  night  is 
dark ;  he  stumbles,  and  falls  into  some  deep,  dark  pit ;  he  sets 
up  a  cry  for  help ;  his  cry  breaks  on  the  stillness  of  night,  and 
is  heard  echoing  on  through  the  wilderness.  See  those  three 
men  passing  on,  now,  as  the  moon  just  glimmers  through  the 


32  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

cloud;  —  see!  see!  they  are  standing  listening;  they  have 
heard  that  cry  for  help ;  —  now  they  are  .making  way  to  that 
spot  whence  the  sound  proceeds ;  one  of  them  is  standing  on  the 
edge  of  that  deep  pit;  he  listens,  and  the  cry  is  heard  again. 
"  Who  is  down  there  ?  " 

"  O,  sir,  I  have  fallen  into  this  dreadful  place ;  my  feet  are 
stuck  in  the  mire  !  " 

"  Be  of  good  courage,  my  friend ;  there  are  two  strong  fellows 
here,  besides  myself;  we  '11  soon  have  you  up." 

Now  the  rope  is  being  let  down.  "  There,  take  hold  of  that 
rope,  man ;  take  fast  hold ;  now  give  a  strong  pull."  Up  comes 
the  rope  :  the  man  in  the  pit  has  let  it  slip.  "  Why,  what 's  the 
matter,  down  there  ?  Come,  come ;  now  take  a  firmer  hold. 
Now,  comrades,  give  another  pull." 

Up  comes  the  rope  again.  "  Why,  man,  you  must  surely 
have  something  in  your  hands."  . 

"  I  have  a  few  things,  sir,  that  I  should  like  to  bring  up  with 
me,  down  here." 

"  Come,  cast  them  away,  and  take  hold  of  the  rope,  and  not 
trifle  in  this  way ! " 

Now  he  casts  the  things  out  of  one  of  his  hands,  and  they 
try  again ;  but  up  comes  the  rope  again.  "  I  tell  you,  man,  if 
you  don't  cast  away  those  things  and  take  hold,  we  will  leave 
you  to  your  fate."  Now  he  casts  them  all  away,  and  takes  firm 
hold,  and  up  he  comes ! 

And  you  must  renounce  sin.  If  you  indulge  iniquity  in  your 
heart,  you  may  cry  till  doomsday,  and  God  will  not  hear  your 
prayer.  "What  preparation  is  necessary?"  I  ask,  do  you 
want  pardon  or  purity  ?  "  W^hat  things  soever  ye  desire  when 
ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them." 
Here,  then,  you  see  the  preparation  necessary.  1st,  desire ; 
2nd,  prayer ;  3d,  faith. 

1.  Desire. — If  your  desires  be  sincere,  you  will  put  away  every 
evil;  you  will  sacrifice  every  idol,  though  it  may  be  dear  as 
a  right  hand,  or  precious  as  a  right  eye.  Desires,  says  an  old 
writer,  'are  the  sails  of  the  mind.  What  is  it  that  hurries  the 
poor  drunkard  to  the  drunkard's  grave,  with  a  velocity  swift  as 


THE    OMNIPOTENCE    OF   FAITH.  33 

time  ?  Why,  desire ;  deep,  intense,  burning  desire ;  desire 
hardly  surpassed  by  the  damned,  as  they  thirst  for  the  cooling 
stream.  What  is  it  that  hurries  on  the  thief  to  plunder  his 
neighbor,  to  stamp  his  own  character  with  infamy,  and  endanger 
his  life  ?  Why,  desire  for  wealth  not  his  own.  What  is  it  that 
works  up  man  to  a  point,  when  he  can  commit  a  crime,  the 
recollection  of  w^hich  chills  his  blood,  —  a  crime  that  brands  him 
with  the  foul  deed  of  murder  ?     Why,  desire. 

"  If  you  desire  salvation,  then,"  says  Wesley,  "  look  for  it 
every  day,  every  hour,  every  moment."  Why  not  this  hour, 
this  moment?  Certainly,  you  may  look  for  it  now,  if  you  believe 
it  is  to  be  obtained  by  faith:  And  by  this  token  you  may  surely 
know  whether  you  seek  it  by  faith  or  by  works.  If  by  works, 
you  want  something  to  be  done  first.  You  think  you  must  do 
thus  or  thus.  Then  you  are  seeking  it  by  works  unto  this  day. 
If  you  seek  it  by  faith,  and  just  as  you  arc,  then  expect  it  now. 
It  is  of  importance  to  observe,  that  there  is  an  inseparable  con- 
nection between  these  three  points :  expect  it  by  faith,  expect  it 
as  you  are,  and  expect  it  tww.  To  deny  one  of  them,  is  to  deny 
all  of  them ;  to  allow  one  of  them,  is  to  allow  them  all.  Do 
you  believe  we  are  sanctified  by  faith  ?  Be  true  to  your  prin- 
ciple, and  look  for  the  blessing  just  as  you  are,  neither  better 
nor  worse,  as  a  poor  sinner  that  has  still  nothing  to  plead,  but 
Christ  died.  John  Fletcher  says,  "  Come  to  a  naked  promise  by 
a  naked  faith."  I  mean  by  naked  faith,  faith  stripped  of  feeling; 
with  a  soft  heart,  or  a  hard  heart ;  just  such  a  heart  as  you 
have  now.  If  you  are  seeking  to  weep  more,  to  get  a  softer 
heart,  before  you  come  to  Christ,  then  you,  until  now,  are  seeking 
salvation  by  works.  You  see  the  condition  God  requires, — 
desire,  prayer,  faith.  Desires  are  the  sails  of  the  mind.  Have 
you  your  sails  up?  Yes,  some  of  you  have.  O,  my  dear 
brother,  you  are  on  the  very  edge  of  the  fountain.  Said  the 
poor  woman,  "  If  I  can  but  touch  the  hem  of  his  garment,  I  shall 
be  made  whole."  The  crowd  presses  around  him.  "  I  am  weak 
with  the  loss  of  blood ;  I  fear  I  shall  never  reach  him ;  I  shall 
die  in  the  attempt.  Well,  if  I  tarry  here,  I  die ;  I  can  but  die. 
I  will  make  the  attempt."     Borne  this  way  and  that  way,  by 


34  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

the  waves  of  the  people,  now  she  is  being  home  nearer  and 
nearer.  "  If  I  can  but  touch  the  hem  of  his  garment ! "  Now, 
trembling,  pale,  agitated,  she  stretches  out  her  hand,  and  touches, 
and  is  made  whole.  Now,  sinner,  Christ  is  in  the  crowd ;  he  is 
nigh  thee ;  he  is  passing  by  thee ;  touch  him,  touch  him,  and 
live! 

In  America,  some  years  ago,  there  was  an  old  gentleman  who 
had  constructed  an  electrifying  machine.  The  students  from 
one  of  the  colleges  went  to  his  house  to  see  this  wonderful 
machine.  He  began  to  wind  round,  and  round,  and  round,  till 
the  machine  was  charged  with  the  electric  fluid.  "  Now,  my 
lads,"  said  he,  "  take  hold  of  each  other's  hands ;  now  you  that 
stand  before  there,  touch  that  brass  ball."  He  touched,  and 
sudden  as  lightning,  the  shock  was  felt  through  the  whole 
group.  And  if  ever  this  promise  was  charged  with  electrifying^ 
galvanizing^  saving  power,  it  is  now.  "  What  things  soever  ye 
desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall 
have  them."  See  !  see  that  vessel  leaving  the  port  of  Liverpool. 
(Now,  don't  laugh  at  my  seafaring  language.)  "  Ship  ahoy ! 
whither  bound?"  "New  York,  sir."  "New  York!  when  do 
you  expect  to  get  there,  captain?"  "Good  vessel,  sir;  fair 
wind;  I  expect  a  short  voyage."  "Why,  man,  you  have  not  a 
rag  of  sail  up ;  I  '11  tell  you  where  you  '11  get,  if  you  don't  take 
care ;  you  '11  get  to  the  bottom."  Now,  here  comes  another 
vessel.  "Ship  ahoy!  whither  bound?"  "New  York,  sir.'* 
"  New  York !  when  do  you  expect  to  arrive  there,  captain  ? " 
"  Look  aloft,  sir ;  the  compass  stands  direct  to  a  point ;  fair  wind 
and  a  fine  breeze ! "  How  finely  she  's  rigged  —  mainsail,  top- 
sail, top-gallant  sail !  See,  how  she  bounds  on  before  the  breeze ! 
The  desires  are  the  sails  of  the  mind.  Have  you  got  your  sails 
up  ?  Yes,  yes,  bless  God !  I  see  many  of  you  have,  —  many  of 
you  in  the  gallery  there,  and  many  of  you  below  there,  have 
your  sails  up.     Come,  — 

'     "  Blow,  breezes,  blow  a  gale  of  grace." 

Now,  let  all  get  down  before  the  Lord ;  all  of  you  in  the  gal- 
lery there,  and  all  of  you  below.     Now,  "  what  things  soever 


THE    OMNIPOTENCE    OF    FAITH.  35 

ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye 
shall  have  them."  It  is  not  a  cold,  lifeless  trust,  but  a  good, 
bold,  hearty  venture  on  Christ.  I  cannot  doubt  the  truth  of  my 
Lord ;  I  can  as  soon  doubt  his  divinity  as  his  truth ;  I  can  as 
soon  doubt  his  Godhead  as  his  veracity.  "  What  preparation," 
says  one,  "  is  necessary?"  "What  things  soever  ye  desire 
when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have 
them."  God  cannot  lie.  I  will  die  rather  than  doubt  my  God. 
God  is  not  a  man,  that  he  should  lie.  The  devil  does  not  care 
a  rush  for  a  Christian  believing  that  God  is  able,  willing,  wait- 
ing, and  anxious  to  sanctify  the  soul.  Nor  does  he  care  for  him 
believing  that  God  will  do  it  some  time.  No  ;  it  is  faith  in  the 
present  tense  that  the  devil  dreads,  —  believing  that  God  does 
just  now  do  it.  This  simply  and  fully  taking  God  at  his  word  is 
the  great  spell.  Come,  my  dear  brother  !  come,  my  dear  sister ! 
don't  be  afraid  to  step  into  the  sea  to  Jesus,  as  Peter  did.  Hark! 
he  bids  you  meet  him.  Now  step  (so  to  speak)  on  the  naked 
promise,  and  the  Spirit  and  the  blood  will  fully  cleanse.  If  ever 
my  God  was  here,  he  is  here  now.  Touch  the  promise  —  touch 
the  hem  of  his  garment !  I  know  some  of  you  are  touching. 
He  is  saving  some  of  you ;  I  know  my  God  is  saving  some  of 
you.     Let  your  inmost  soul  cry  out — 

"  'T  is  done  :  thou  dost  this  moment  save ; 
With  full  salvation  bless ! 
Redemption  through  thy  blood  I  have, 
And  spotless  love  and  peace." 

"  What  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye 
receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them." 


SERMON  III. 

PUEIFICATION   BY  FAITH. 

"And  put  no  difference  between  us  and  them,  purifying  their  hearts  by  faith." — 
Acts  15 : 9. 

Jestjs  says,  "  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see 
God."  And  Peter  says,  "  Put  no  difference  between  us  and 
them,  purifying  their  hearts  by  faith."  The  distinction  between 
these  two  statements  is  this :  Jesus  tells  you  the  blessedness  of 
such  a  state,  and  Peter  tells  you  how  you  may  obtain  it  —  "put- 
ting no  difference  between  us  and  them,  purifying  their  hearts 
by  faith."  When  I  enter  a  place  for  a  short  time,  I  often  meet 
with  a  great  many  inquiries  about  this  doctrine  of  purity ;  indeed, 
the  number  of  cases  have  been  so  numerous,  I  have  been  obliged 
to  refuse  attention  to  some ;  but,  that  I  may  atone  for  this  seem- 
ing want  of  courtesy,  I  will  on  this  occasion  put  my  sermon  in 
the  shape  of  question  and  answer.  I  will  endeavor  to  be  con- 
versational and  simple,  that  all  may  understand. 

Before  I  proceed,  I  want  to  ask  a  question  or  two.  Now,  if 
God  shall  set  you  at  liberty,  give  you  the  direct  witness  of  the 
Spirit,  or  purify  your  hearts,  while  I  am  preaching,  or  before  I 
leave  this  place,  will  you  meet  me  at  the  close  of  this  service  in 
the  vestry  of  this  chapel,  to  let  me  know  it  ?  It  does  so  comfort 
this  poor  heart  of  mine  to  know  that  my  God  is  setting  his  seal 
to  the  work.  My  God  is  in  this  place ;  he  is  here ;  I  feel  him 
blessing  this  poor  little  heart ;  my  soul  is  very  happy.  I  believe 
we  shall  have  many  hearts  purified  before  I  leave  this  place  — 
hallelujah !  God  can  save  all  sorts  of  sinners,  in  all  sorts  of 
places.  The  Gospel  can  triumph  anywhere  out  of  hell  —  "  put- 
ting no  difference  between  them  and  us,  purifying  their  hearts 
by  faith." 


PURIFICATION   BY   FAITH.  '        37 

1.  —  Why  does  God  purify  the  heart  by  faith? 

God  has  told  us  that  he  purifies  the  heart  by  faith ;  and  could 
we  assign  no  other  reason,  this  should  be  enough.  The  fact 
that  God  has  said  that  he  purifies  the  heart  by  faith,  ought  to 
satisfy  us  that  there  are  the  very  best  of  reasons  for  such  a 
course ;  but  is  this  the  only  reason  we  can  assign  ?  I  answer, 
no ;  we  give  the  two  following  reasons : 

1.  Man  was  ruined  by  believing  the  devil;  and  the  great  God 
has  determined  that  he  shall  be  saved  by  believing  Him.  He 
was  lost  by  receiving  the  testimony  of  Satan,  by  believing  the 
lie  of  the  devil;  he  can  only  be  saved  by  receiving  Heaven's 
testimony,  by  believing  the  truth  of  God.  0,  accursed  unbelief! 
what  dost  thou  do  for  man?  Thou  dost  sink  him,  corrupt 
him,  damn  him,  Hnk  him  to  the  devil,  and  plunge  him  in  the 
dee^  of  hell.  On  the  contrary,  faith  elevates  him,  purifies 
him^laves  him,  links  him  to  God,  places  him  on  the  everlasting 
throne,  and  makes  eternal  sunshine  to  settle  on  his  head. 

This  doctrine  distinguishes  Protestantism  from  every  spurious 
form  of  Christianity  —  from  Romish  Popery,  German  Rational- 
ism, and  English  Puseyism.  These  three  corrupt  forms  of 
Christianity  aim  a  deadly  blow  at  the  great  doctrine  of  justifica- 
tion by  faith.  These  go  to  mix  up  man's  merits  with  the  merits 
of  the  blood  of  Christ ;  these  place,  as  the  ground  of  a  sinner's 
hope,  man's  morality,  instead  of  the  Saviour's  death.  The  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  faith  alone  is  the  glory  of  Christianity. 
This  doctrine  is  as  old  as  the  fall  of  man.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark,  that  on  the  very  same  day  that  man  fell,  the  blessed 
God  introduced  the  new  system  of  salvation.  In  the  cool  of  the 
evening,  God  walked  in  the  garden,  and  said,  "  The  seed  of  the 
woman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head  ;"  the  germ  of  it  was 
there.  The  very  first  human  spirit  that  entered  heaven, went 
there  a  martyr  for  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith.  See 
those  two  altars,  side  by  side.  One  of  them  is  piled  up  with 
the  fruits  of  the  earth ;  the  other  is  laden  with  a  poor  little  strug- 
gling lamb.  By  the  one  stands  Cain,  the  father  of  the  deist. 
He  presents  his  offering  to  God,  but  no  response  is  heard,  no 
fire  from  heaven  kindles  the  sacrifice,  and  his  countenance  falls. 
4 


38  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

By  the  side  of  the  other  stands  Abel,  pious,  meek,  and  humble, 
looking  through  the  gurgling  blood  of  the  Lamb,  on  to  the  sum- 
mit of  Calvary,  —  on  to  God's  I^amb  bearing  away  the  world's 
guilt, — bearing  away  into  eternal  oblivion  his  own;  and  believ- 
ing he  is  justified  by  faith.  It  was  by  this  doctrine  of  heaven 
that  the  Wesleys  and  Whitfield  aroused  the  slumbering  church, 
and  awakened  a  half-damned  world.  Justification  by  faith  is 
the  glory  of  Protestantism.  0,  ye  British  Christians  !  hold  it 
fast.  Let  neither  Romanism,  Germanism,  nor  Puseyism  rob 
you  of  it.  Talk  about  it  to  your  children,  as  you  sit  around  the 
hearths  of  your  homes ;  tell  it  to  your  neighbors,  as  you  walk  by 
the  way,  and  mingle  with  them  in  your  daily  calling ;  preach  it, 
live  it,  and,  if  necessary,  die  for  it.  It  will  be  the  salvation  of 
your  soul,  of  your  family,  of  your  country,  of  your  world.  See 
that  old  building  there  —  it  is  a  moonlight  scene.  How  antjque 
and  majestic  it  looks !  —  how  venerable  with  age  !  —  what  a 
solemn  grandeur  seems  thrown  around  it !  Draw  a  little  nearer. 
Ah !  now  you  see  the  soft  moonbeams  peeping  through ;  light 
is  gleaming  through  a  crack  here  and  an  opening  yonder.  Owls 
and  bats  flutter  about  in  the  dim  mist,  and  noisome  things  creep 
there.  Ah !  it  looks  grand  in  the  moonlight ;  but  the  day  dawn 
shows  its  old  dilapidated  walls  —  it 's  a  temple  in  ruin.  See, 
see  a  little  lad  cast  an  acorn  into  its  centre  !  It  grows  silently  — 
makes  its  way  —  it  now  pushes  up  its  long  gaunt  arms,  and 
spreads  abroad  its  branches ;  and,  as  it  grows,  it  pushes  its  way 
through  the  mouldering  walls.  Ah !  there  the  entire  building 
is  tumbled  down  in  ruins  around  its  base,  and  the  tree  is  stand- 
ing in  all  its  glory.  The  little  acorn  is  justification  by  faith.  It 
will  push  its  way  through  the  old  antiquated  forms  of  Popery, 
Rationalism,  and  modern-dressed  Puseyism.  These  will  all  fall 
in  ruins  around  the  base  of  this  tree.  The  crash  may  be  loud, 
and  ear^h  and  hell  may  roar  as  though  its  very  foundations  had 
given  way,  and  even  heaven  may  seem  to  tremble  at  the  shock ; 
but  when  not  a  vestige  of  the  old  temple  is  standing,  the  tree 
will  bloom  in  all  its  glory. 

2.  Faith  secures  all  the  glory  to  God.     Yonder  is  a  mighty 
mountain.     See,  there 's  a  man  hastening  on  to  it ;  he  is  now 


PURIFICATION    BY    FAITH.  .        *  39 

walking  in  its  dark  shadow;  he  has  in  his  hand  a  little  rod  — 
it  looks  but  a  simple  little  thing.  At  the  base  of  that  mountain 
there  is  a  great  camp  of  people,  about  a  million  and  a  half,  per- 
ishing for  water.  Hark,  how  the  cattle  bleat  I  How  intensely 
hot  the  atmosphere  —  how  glaring  and  burning  the  rays  of  the 
sun!  Scarcely  a  blade  of  grass  is  to  be  seen  —  everything 
seems  to  droop  and  die.  See,  see  how  they  are  lying  in  groups, 
men,  women,  and  children,  dying  for  water!  Hark!  did  you 
hear  that  awful  moan,  borne  along  on  the  sighing  winds  ?  Ah ! 
it  was  the  last  groan  of  a  perishing  mortal.  0  !  how  fearful  is 
a  famine  of  water !  But  see,  see,  there  's  the  man  with  his  little 
rod,  standing  by  the  side  of  a  great  rock  !  He  lifts  his  little  rod, 
and  strikes  once,  twice,  three  times  :  —  the  stream  of  water  is 
gushing  out ;  it  rolls  down  the  mountain  side,  and  runs  through 
the  camp.  They  are  saved.  Now,  if  God  had  efiven  Moses  a 
great  sledge-hammer,  and  he  had  gone  to  the  rock,  pulled  off  his 
coat,  and  commenced  work,  the  people  would  have  said,  "  See 
what  arms,  what  muscle,  he  has !  There 's  power,  there 's  strength. 
He  knows  the  fissures  of  the  rock  —  ah !  he  knows  where  to 
strike.  He  has  saved  the  people.  Glory  be  to  Moses ! "  But 
nobody,  looking  at  the  little  insignificant  rod,  would  say,  glory 
be  to  Moses,  but,  glory  be  to  God,  the  God  of  Moses,  who  doth 
all  things  well.  So  it  is  in  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  faith  — 
it  secures  all  the  glory  to  God.  The  poor,  trembling,  agitated 
penitent  at  the  foot  of  Caltary,  when  his  guilt  is  washed  away 
by  the  hallowed  stream ;  when  his  troubled  spirit  is  hushed  into 
a  calm ;  when  the  fearful  storm  of  wrath  is  past,  and  the  sun- 
shine of  heavenly  peace  opens  upon  his  soul ;  when  his  soul 
bathes  in  the  noontide  love  of  God  shed  on  him  from  Calvary's 
cross ;  when  he  slakes  his  thirst  at  the  stream  that  rolls  from  the 
throne  ;  when  that  memorable  sentence  of  Jesus,  "  It  is  finished," 
comes  rushing,  rushing  on  his  ear,  borne  down  on  the  winds  of 
eighteen  centuries,  —  he  listens  to  it,  believes  it,  and  is  saved  by 
it ;  then  he  cries,  Glory  be  to  God  !  The  people  of  God,  as  they 
gaze  on  and  see  a  fellow-mortal  born  a  second  time,  cry,  Glory 
be  to  God  !  The  angels,  who  love  to  linger  over  such  places,  — 
places  where  sinners  are  saved, — as  they  see  the  first  gusbings 


40  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

of  a  renewed  heart,  as  they  see  the  streaming  upturned  eye 
fixed  on  Jesus,  they  cry.  Glory  be  to  God !  The  seraphim,  the 
cherubim,  the  archangels,  join  in  the  chorus ;  the  song  widens 
and  swells  on  from  choir  to  choir  —  from  rank  to  rank ;  it  sweeps 
the  outskirts  of  creation;  now  as  soft  as  music  of  Eolia's  harp  — 
now  in  mighty  thunderings  —  sounding  forth  from  the  trembling 
voice  of  the  newly  pardoned  sinner  to  the  fairest  son  of  the 
morning,  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest  —  a  sinner  saved  by  grace ! 
and  every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and 
under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in 
them,  heard  I  saying,  "  Blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 
power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the 
Lamb,  for  ever  and  ever."     The  glory  is  secured  to  God. 

II. — What  is  faith  ? 

I  answer,  a  divine  conviction  of  the  realities  of  eternity ;  a 
mental  discernment  of  the  invisible  things  of  which  the  Bible 
speaks ;  the  mental  eye  piercing  through  the  clouds  that  hang 
between  time  and  eternity ;  an  eye  looking  back  and  seeing  in 
the  centre  of  the  world's  history,  on  the  summit  of  Calvary,  the 
Son  of  God  dying  for  man ;  an  eye  that  looks  up  and  sees  the 
everlasting  God  upon  the  throne  of  the  universe  governing  all 
that  is ;  sees  Jesus  as  man's  mediator,  standing  at  the  right 
hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high,  with  his  reeking  wounds,  fresh,  as 
it  were,  from  Calvary,  as  a  lamb  newly  slain,  pleading  for  sin- 
ners ;  sees  heaven  with  all  its  glory,  hell  with  all  its  agonies, 
its  horrors,  its  boundless  woes.  Eternity,  in  all  its  solemn  and 
vast  dimensions,  —  in  its  unbegun,  unfading,  limitless  duration, — 
an  eye  looking  onwards  to  death,  judgment,  to  eternity ;  and  all 
the  consequences  pending  upon  life's  choice,  spreading  their 
influence  over  a  boundless  future.  Indeed,  faith  is  said  to  be 
the  substance  of  things  hoped  for  :  in  the  language  of  another, 
not  the  fugitive  shadow  of  a  dream,  or  transient  ignis-fatuus 
dancing  along  the  horizon  of  our  vision ;  not  exactly  the  things 
themselves,  but  the  substance  of  them,  which  the  long  arm  of 
faith  can  reach,  even  across  the  ocean  of  time ;  and  that  sub- 
stance, too,  so  much  better  adapted  to  our  present  state  of  being 
than  "  the  things  hoped  for,"    it  is  angels'  food,  incarnated, 


PURIFICATION    BY     FAITH.  41 

materialized  for  man ;  an  aliment  for  his  triune  nature.  When 
the  soul  reaches  out  its  arm  into  eternity,  and  feels  in  the  palm 
of  its  God  for  a  child's  portion,  it  always  brings  it  home  in  a 
substance  to  which  all  the  senses  and  yearnings  of  human  nature 
may  sit  down  to  feast.  It  never  makes  a  journey  to  heaven 
without  bringing  back  some  choice  things  for  each  of  the  spiritual 
senses.  To  the  sight  it  daguerreotypes  on  the  mental  eye  the 
great  city  of  God,  the  new  Jerusalem,  with  its  golden  streets,  its 
foundation-stones  of  celestial  water,  its  gates  of  pearl,  the  great 
white  throne,  the  robes  and  ranks  of  the  heavenly  host,  the  river 
of  life,  the  visions  of  indescribable  magnificence.  To  another 
sense  it  spreads  out  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb,  and  fruits 
and  flowers  of  immortal  taste  and  bloom.  To  the  ear  it  brings 
the  melody  of  the  golden  harps,  the  strain  of  angel  anthems.  In 
short,  it  creates  a  heaven  for  every  sense,  and  sets  the  whole 
family  of  them  a-longing  for  it,  and  then  feeds  them  with  the 
substance  of  things  hoped  for.  But  is  this  saving  faith  —  justi- 
fying faith  ?  I  answer,  no  ;  saving  faith  may  be  included  under 
two  heads. 

1.  Assent :  assent  to  such  truths  as  the  following :  —  "He 
died  for  our  sins,  and  rose  again  for  our  justification."  "  I  am 
he  that  blotteth  out  thy  sins."  "  Who  is  made  unto  us  wisdom, 
righteousness,  sanctification,  and  redemption." 

2.  Trust :  and  trust  may  be  defined  as  of  a  two-fold  character. 
Says  one,  "  I  trust  I  shall  be  saved  some  time,  —  to-morrow,  next 
year,  on  a  dying  bed."  "  I  think,"  says  another,  "  that  none  can 
be  saved  till  a  dying  hour ;  I  trust  I  shall  be  saved  then."  The 
trust  connected  with  salvation  is  a  trust  in  the  merits  of  Christ 
for  a  present  salvation,  —  an  enlightened,  hearty,  bold  trust  in 
Christ  just  now,  —  exclaiming,  with  confidence,  with  the  eye 
fixed  on  Calvary,  on  the  dying  Saviour,  "  Lord  thou  camt,  thou 
WILT,  thou  DOST  save." 

"  What,  then,"  asks  the  penitent  sinner,  "  must  I  believe,  in 
order  to  obtain  pardon  and  purity?"  I  answer,  you  have  it  in 
these  words,  "  He  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins ;  and  not  for 
ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  "  What  is  the 
meaning  of  a  propitiation  ?  "     I  answer,  a  covering.    He  covered 


42  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

them,  suffered  for  them,  bore  them,  bore  them  away ;  as  the 
Bible  says,  "  He  bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree." 
Now,  one  thing  is  clear  as  light,  —  if  he  bore  them,  suffered  for 
them,  died  for  them,  you  need  not  bear  them,  suffer  for  them^  die 
for  them.  "  But,  did  he  suffer  enough  ?  or,  in  other  words,  was 
the  atonement  complete  ? "  Listen  to  God's  word  on  this  sub- 
ject—Heb.  9:  25,  26,— "Nor  yet  that  he  should  offer  himself 
often,  as  the  high  priest  entereth  into  the  holy  place  every  year 
with  the  blood  of  others.  For  then  must  he  often  have  suffered 
since  flie  foundation  of  the  world ;  but  now,  once  in  the  end  of 
the  world  hath  he  appeared  to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of 
himself."  Do  you,-  then,  understand  what  he  did  for  you  when 
he  died  —  that  he  satisfied  the  claims  of  a  violated  law,  of 
insulted  justice,  for  your  sins  ?  "  But  was  this  satisfaction  com- 
plete —  was  God  satisfied  ?  Did  he  suffer  enough  ? "  I  answer, 
this  sacrifice  was  so  complete  that  it  cannot  be  mended.  It  was 
a  more  complete  satisfaction  than  you  could  have  made,  if  you 
had  suffered  in  hell-fire  a  whole  eternity.  Yea,  if  all  the  angels 
were  to  come  down  from  heaven  and  cover  the  hill  of  Calvary 
with  crosses,  and  each  one  die  as  a  sacrifice  for  your  sins,  they 
could  not  add  one  whit  to  the  completeness  of  the  atonement 
Christ  made  when  he  bowed  his  head  and  died.  Then  he  suf- 
fered enough  to  save  you.  A  minister  once  said  to  a  broken- 
hearted woman,  smiting  on  her  breast,  and  groaning  for  salva- 
tion, "  My  friend,  do  you  believe  that  Jesus,  when  he  died  on 
the  tree,  suffered  enough  for  you,  or  would  you  have  him  to 
suffer  a  little  more  ?  "  "  O  !  no,  sir,  he  suffered  enough  —  he 
suffered  enough."  "  Did  he  ?  did  he  ? "  said  the  minister. 
"  Yes,"  said  the  woman ;  and  as  she  believed  it,  her  whole 
countenance  changed,  peace  overflowed  her  heart,  the  great 
change  was  effected.  Now,  I  ask  you,  do  you  believe  that  Jesus 
suffered  enough  for  you  ?  You  cannot  understand  it,  believe  it, 
trust  in  it,  and  not  be  saved.  "  But,"  says  the  sinner,  "  did  the 
Father  accept  of  the  death  of  Christ  as  an  atonement  for  my 
sins  ?  "  I  answer,  was  it  not  the  burning  love  in  the  Father's 
heart  that  led  him  to  give  his  Son  to  die  ?  As  the  Bible  says, 
"  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  h^  gave  his  only  begotten  Son, 


PURIFICATION    BY    FAITH.  43 

that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  Blessed  words !  they  should  be  written  in  letters 
of  gold,  in  letters  of  light ;  should  be  hung  up  in  your  bedrooms ; 
written  up  in  every  public  way,  that  passing  sinners  may  read 
them  ;  engrave  them  on  your  hearts.  Then,  it  was  the  Father's 
own  appointment  that  the  Son  should  die  ?  Do  you  want  fur- 
ther proof'  that  the  Father  accepted  it  ?  Go  and  stand  by  the 
tomb  in  the  rock  :  the  Son  of  God  is  laid  a  corpse  in  that  tomb  ; 
all  is  quiet ;  twice  the  sun  has  gone  down  upon  that  tomb ;  the 
murdered  Saviour  sleeps  quietly ;  the  seal  is  unbroken ;  the 
starlight  gleams  upon  the  spears  of  the  rude  soldiers,  as  they 
watch  the  sepulchre ;  the  morning  star  ushers  in  the  first  rays 
of  golden  day ;  and  all  is  yet  still  as  death.  See !  see  !  that 
bright  light  aloft  —  how  beautiful!  how  soft!  how  unlike  an 
earthly  light !  —  it  comes  rushing,  rushing  down  —  it  is  an  holy 
angel !  How  those  soldiers  start !  —  how  pale  they  look !  — 
what !  hath  death  blanched  their  countenances  ?  The  angel  heeds 
them  not ;  he  snaps  the  seal ;  with  one  bound  he  rolls  away  the 
stone.  Come,  weeping  sinner  —  come,  saints,  and  look  in  upon 
the  slain  Lord ! 

"Come,  saints,  and  drop  a  tear  or  two, 
On  the  dear  bosom  of  your  God  ; 
He  shed  a  thousand  drops  for  you, 
A  thousand  drops  of  richer  blood. 
But  lo  !  what  sudden  joys  I  see  ! 
Jesus  the  dead  revives  again  ; 
The  rising  God  forsakes  his  tomb  ; 
The  tomb  in  vain  forbids  his  rise, 
Cherubic  legions  guard  him  home. 
And  shout  him  welcome  to  the  skies." 

Here  's  a  proof  that  the  Father  hath  accepted  the  atonement. 
He  hath,  by  raising  up  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  furnished  an 
unanswerable  proof  to  earth,  to  heaven,  to  hell,  to  the  universe, 
that  the  great  atoning  work  was  complete.  O,  how  the  love  of 
God  shines  out  in  the  gift  of  Christ ;  how  it  pervades  every  part 
of  redemption !  It  says,  in  language  louder  than  thunder, 
*'  Mercy  's  free." 

In  Ireland,  a  grayheaded  and  pious  father  had  a  very  wicked 


44  REVIVAL    MISCELLAiNIES. 

son.  The  old  man  had  often  prayed  and  wrestled  with  God  on 
his  behalf;  but  he  became  worse  and  worse.  Never,  I  believe, 
did  that  father  close  his  doors  against  the  returning  prodigal. 
Some  of  his  neighbors,  one  day,  addressed  the  father,  with  con- 
siderable severity,  saying,  "Why  harbor  that  reprobate  son  of 
yours  ?  why  don't  you  turn  him  out  of  doors,  and  banish  him 
from  your  house  ?  " 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  aged  saint,  his  gray  locks  trembling  with 
emotion,  "  you  can  all  turn  him  out,  but  his  own  father."  It 
may  be,  penitent  sinner,  you  have  long  been  a  rebel,  and  years  have 
passed  away  while  the  long-suffering  of  God  has  borne  with  you. 
Now,  if  all  the  devils  were  to  say,  turn  him  out, — yea,  if  all  the 
saints  on  earth,  and  all  the  angels  in  heaven,  were  to  say  to  the 
merciful  God,  "  Why  dost  thou  not  turn  that  reprobate  son  of 
thine  out  of  doors,  and  banish  him  from  thy  house  ?" — the  bowels 
of  divine  compassion  would  say,  "  Ay,  ay,  you  can  all  turn 
him  out  of  doors,  but  his  own  father."  Now,  why  should  you 
not  believe,  and  this  moment  rejoice  in  God  ?  I  will  press  home 
this  matter,  and  bring  you  to  the  test.  I  ask,  do  you  believe  that 
Jesus,  by  his  death,  completely  satisfied  God  for  every  sin 
you  have  committed;  that  the  Father  accepted  the  death  of 
Christ  as  an  atonement  ?  "  O,"  you  say, "  I  dare  not  doubt  that ; 
if  I  did,  a  thousand  voices  from  the  Bible  would  condemn  me." 
Then  hold  fast  that  truth.  I  have  a  passage  of  God's  word  to 
present  to  you.  Remember  God  hath  spoken  it ;  moreover,  it  is  a 
passage  that  you  cannot  believe  without  being  saved.  As  sure 
as  the  Bible  is  not  a  lie,  and  God  is  true,  you  will  have  salva- 
tion, if  you  believe  it.  You  will  find  it  in  the  first  epistle  of 
John,  1 :  7,  — "  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us 
from  all  sin."  It  does  not  say  that  God  has  cleansed  you  from 
sin  in  time  past.  You  may  believe  that,  and  not  be  saved.  It 
does  not  say  that  he  will  cleanse  you  in  some  time  to  come ;  but 
that  he  doeth  it,  —  cleameth,  —  that  is  the  word,  in  the  present 
tense.  Again,  I  ask,  do  you  believe  it  ?  If  you  do,  you  are 
saved.  If  you  are  not  saved,  you  do  not  believe  it.  0  !  why 
doubt  ?  why  dishonor  God  ?  why  make  him  a  liar  ? 


PURIFICATION    BY   FAITH.  45 

"  O  !  believe  the  record  true, 

God  to  you  his  Son  hath  given  ; 
Ye  may  now  be  happy  too, 

Find  on  earth  the  life  of  heaven. 

"  Believe  in  him  that  died  for  thee  ; 
And  sure  as  he  has  died, 
Thy  debt  is  paid,  thy  soul  is  free, 
And  thou  art  justified." 

Every  blessing  is  thine  by  faith,  —  not  only  pardon,  but  purity 
and  heaven  —  "  putting  no  difference  between  them  and  us, 
purifying  their  hearts  by  faith." 

III.  What  is  the  difference  between  faith  and  knowl- 
edge ? 

I  answer,  faith  and  knowledge  are  distinct ;  they  certainly  do 
not  mean  one  and  the  same  thing.  We  will  try  to  make  this 
plain.  A  man  promises  you  one  hundred  pounds  to-morrow  at 
twelve  o'clock,  —  exactly  at  twelve  o'clock,  —  on  condition  that 
you  meet  him  precisely  at  that  time  on  the  Exchange.  The  man 
is  an  honest  man,  and  you  have  full  confidence  in  his  word.  As 
you  are  retiring  to  bed  you  say,  "  To-morrow  at  twelve  o'clock  I 
shall  have  one  hundred  pounds."  The  morning  comes,  and  the 
clock  strikes  eight;  "In  four  hours  more  I  shall  have  the 
one  hundred  pounds."  Ten  o'clock  arrives,  and  you  exclaim, 
"  In  two  hours  more  the  one  hundred  pounds  will  be  mine." 
Ten  minutes  to  twelve  o'clock  finds  you  on  your  way  to  the 
Exchange.  As  you  see  the  man  waiting  for  you,  you  say,  "  Ah  ! 
I  thought  you  would  keep  your  word."  The  gentleman,  accord- 
ing to  promise,  gives  you  the  check  for  the  one  hundred  pounds. 
"  Ah  !  "  say  you,  "  I  have  faith  in  your  word." 

"  Faith,  man ! "  replies  the  gentleman ;  "  you  have  the 
check  ;  read  for  yourself ;  you  no  longer  believe,  but  know  you 
have  what  was  promised ;  it  is  not  faith,  but  knowledge." 
It  was  faith  at  eight  o'clock,  at  ten  o'clock,  at  ten  minutes 
to  twelve  o'clock;  but  the  very  moment  you  received  the 
check,  it  was  faith  no  longer,  but  knowledge.  Ah!  I  know 
the  reason  why  you  wish  to  confound  these  two  things  —  why 
you  ask  what  difference   is  there  between  faith  and  knowl- 


46  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

edge.  It  is  because  you  wish  to  feel  first,  and  believe  afterwards. 
But  there  is  a  distinction  between  the  two,  and  faith  must  pre- 
cede knowledge.  Why  are  you  afraid  to  trust  God  for  the  ful- 
filment of  his  word  ?  You  put  confidence  in  the  word  of  fallible 
man.  You  are  not  afraid  to  risk  your  wealth,  your  health,  even 
your  life,  on  the  word  of  a  fallible  human  creature.  Why,  then, 
do  you  want  to  receive  the  gift  of  God,  and  then  believe  after- 
wards ? 

Did  ever  God  deceive  yo  .  ^  Did  he  ever  deceive,  in  one  sin- 
gle case,  since  the  world  began  ?  Did  he  ever  deceive  the  phi- 
losopher, in  any  one  of  the  laws  relating  to  time  ?  Have  not 
like  effects  followed  like  causes  through  the  whole  history  of 
time,  and  around  the  entire  globe  ?  Every  time  nature  has  been 
put  to  the  test,  she  has  given  a  faithful  response ;  and  the  God 
of  the  system  of  creation  is  the  God  of  the  economy  of  grace. 
Did  God  ever  deceive  a  penitent  sinner  ?  Has  one  ever  trusted 
in  Christ,  and  not  been  saved  ?  Can  infidels  point  to  one  case  in 
the  past  six  thousand  years  ?  We  defy  them  to  do  it.  When, 
then,  you  find  out  that  heat  won't  expand,  that  cold  won't  con- 
tract, that  fire  won't  burn,  that  poison  won't  kill,  that  bodies  won't 
gravitate  towards  their  centre,  that  light  does  not  follow  the 
rising  sun,  —  then,  you  may  begin  to  fear  that  a  penitent  may 
trust  in  Christ  and  not  be  saved.  God  is  as  true  in  grace  as  in 
nature  ;  yea,  though  the  heavens  and  the  earth  may  pass  away, 
not  one  jot  or  tittle  of  his  word  will  fall  to  the  ground.  He  has 
magnified  his  word  above  all  his  name. 

IV.  What  degrees  of  faith  are  necessary  to  Salvation  ? 

I  answer,  I  do  not  know,  because  God  has  nowhere  said  in 
his  book  how  much,  or  how  little,  a  man  must  have  in  order  to 
be  saved.  He  has,  however,  said,  that  he  will  not  break  a 
bruised  reed,  nor  quench  a  smoking  flax.  He  has  said,  "  If  ye 
have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard-seed  (and  that  is  small  enough), 
and  shall  say  to  this  mountain,  be  thou  cast  into  the  sea,  and 
shall  not  doubt  in  your  heart,  but  shall  believe  that  those  things 
which  he  saith  shall  come  to  pass,  ye  shall  have  whatsoever  he 
saith."     I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  you  must  understand  and 


PURIFICATION  BY  FAITH.  47 

believe  every  truth  in  the  Bible,  in  order  to  be  saved ;  but  I  do 
say  you  must  understand  what  Christ  did  for  you  when  he  died 
on  the  cross  ;  and  you  must  understand  and  trust  in  his  sacrifi- 
cial death.  If  the  blessing  you  are  seeking  is  purity,  then  your 
faith  must  rise  high  enough  to  embrace  the  Saviour,  not  only  as 
your  wisdom  and  righteousness,  but  as  your  sanctijication. 

What,  then,  are  you  waiting  for  ?  Are  you  still  looking  for 
something  in  yourself  to  recommend  you  to  Jesus  ?  What  a 
legal  creature  you  are !  You  need  not  wait  for  any  further 
preparation;  though  your  faith  be  but  like  a  grain  of  mustard- 
seed,  it  will  hurl  mountains  out  of  your  way.  It  will  secure  to 
you  all  the  tremendous  glories  hid  under  that  little  word  ^^  saved." 
"  What  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye 
receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them."  I  believe  as  firmly  in 
the  truth  of  God's  promise  as  in  his  Godhead  —  in  the  faithful- 
ness of  Christ's  word  as  in  his  divinity.  Many  of  you  say,  "  I 
believe  that  he  is  able  and  willing,  and  willing  now,  to  save ;" 
and  just  there  you  stop,  and,  stopping  there,  you  stop  short  of 
salvation.     You  must  trust  in  Christ  for  a  present  salvation. 

Why,  then,  do  you  tarry  longer  ?  Why  do  you  doubt  ?  What 
can  you  wish  for  in  Christ  that  is  not  in  him  ?  Is  it  power  and 
greatness  ?  —  All  power  is  in  his  hands  :  he  rolls  along  the  stars ; 
he  balances  the  motions  of  the  planets ;  he  commands  the  sun ; 
storms  howl  or  hush  at  his  word;  lightnings  do  his  bidding;  and 
all  hell  stands  in  awe  of  him.  Is  it  greatness  ?  —  He  is  the  Most 
High;  greater  than  Moses;  greater  than  Solomon;  and  even 
the  bright  forms  of  angels  are  thrown  into  the  shade,  when  com- 
pared with  him.  Is  it  humility  and  tenderness?  —  He  wore  a 
servant's  form ;  his  ear  was  never  closed  to  a  tale  of  woe,  and 
the  veriest  outcast  was  never  refused  by  him ;  "Jesus  wept." 
Is  it  wisdom? — In  him  dwelleth  all  the  treasures  of  knowledge 
and  wisdom.  Is  it  durability?  —  He  is  the  same  yesterday,  to- 
day, and  forever ;  when  all  other  lights  are  dimmed  with  age, 
when  the  sun  of  every  other  sky  is  blotted  out,  this  light  will 
shine  out  in  unclouded  splendor,  this  sun  will  shine  on  forever 
and  ever.  Everj^thing  you  need  is  in  him.  I  ask,  why,  then, 
do  you  doubt  ?     Why  mistrust  him  ?     Why  cast  a  shade  on  his 


48  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

glorious  redeeming  work  ?  In  this  little  simple  instrument,  this 
grain  of  mustard-seed,  slumbers  a  tremendous  power.  It  is  the 
key  that  opens  the  treasures  of  the  Godhead ;  it  lets  in  on  the 
souls  of  men  all  the  mighty  energy  of  truth.  God  has  put  a 
power  in  his  word  —  "All  things  are  possible  to  him  that  be- 
lieves." "As  a  will  conveys  an  immense  fortune,"  says  the 
Rev.  J.  Fletcher,  "  and  a  death-warrant  a  capital  punishment, 
so  does  the  word  of  God  convey  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ 
to  obedient  believers,  and  the  dreadful  punishment  of  the  damned 
to  obstinate  unbelievers.  I  readily  grant  that  a  bank-note  is  not 
gold ;  that  a  will  is  not  an  estate,  and  that  a  death-warrant  is 
not  the  gallows ;  nevertheless,  so  strong  is  the  connection  between 
these  seemingly  insignificant  signs  and  the  important  things 
which  they  signify,  that  none  but  fools  will  throw  away  the 
bank-notes,  or  the  will  of  their  friends,  as  waste  paper, — none 
but  madmen  will  sport  with  a  death-warrant  as  with  a  play-bill. 
Now,  if  the  written  word  of  men,  who,  through  forgetfulness, 
often  break  their  engagements,  can,  nevertheless,  have  such 
force,  how  exceedingly  fool-hardy  are  sinners  that  disregard  the 
word  of  the  King  of  kings,  who  cannot  lie  !  —  the  proclamation 
of  the  God  of  truth,  with  whom  no  work  is  impossible !  —  the 
will  and  testament  of  the  Almighty,  who  says,  '  Heaven  and 
earth  shall  pass  away,  but  not  one  jot  of  my  word  shall  fall  to 
the  ground !'  Let  but  the  general  speak,  and  an  army  marches 
up,  through  clouds  of  smoke,  and  flames  of  fire,  and  volleys  of 
iron  balls,  to  form  a  heap  of  dead  bodies.  An  admiral  gives  the 
word  of  command,  —  it  may  be  hoisting  the  flag,  —  and  a  fleet  is 
under  sail.  Artificial  clouds  and  thunders  are  formed  over  the 
sea;  the  billows  seem  to  mingle  with  fire;  and  the  king  of 
terrors  flies  from  deck  to  deck,  in  the  most  dreadful  and  bloody 
forms.  If  such  is  the  power  of  the  word  of  man,  who  is  but  a 
worm,  how  almighty  must  be  the  word  of  God !  " 

There  is  a  power  in  the  word  of  God,  to  startle,  to  awaken,  to 
convince.  The  bodily  eye  does  not  see  those  eternal  realities ; 
the  ear  does  not  hear  the  sounds  of  the  spirit  world ;  but  let 
faith  look  calmly,  and  get  a  distinct  view  of  the  realities  of 
eternity.     Corne^  draw  aside  the  curtain  for  a  moment,  and  look 


PURIFICATION  BY  FAITH.  49 

in  on  the  regions  of  hell.  There  no  pleasure,  no  friendship,  no 
love,  enters ;  before  them  hope  never  blooms,  and  to  them  mercy 
never  comes ;  on  them  the  Sabbath  never  dawns.  Indeed,  their 
"  sun  of  mercy  has  set  in  blushing  sorrows  at  their  sins ;  their 
day  of  grace  has  closed  upon  them  forever.  No  sound  of 
mercy,  no:  sigh  of  sympathy,  will  ever  soothe  their  bitter  woe. 
They  neglected  the  great  salvation ;  they  believed  not  the  truth ; 
they  knew  not  God ;  they  died  in  their  sins ;  they  denied  the 
Lord  that  bought  them.  He  called  —  they  refused ;  they  would 
not  hear,  and  he  ceased  to  call ;  they  would  not  look  to  him,  and 
he  ceased  to  beckon.  Their  guardian  angel,  who,  by  divine 
appointment,  shielded  their  thoughtless  charge  from  their  ghostly 
enemies,  sighed  and  left  them;  and  the  devil  and  his  angels 
laughed  a  horrible  grin  of  triumph,  and  dragged  their  struggling 
victim  down,  to  darkness,  fire,  and  pains,  —  whilt^  saints  and 
angels  mourned,  and  said,  'the  precious  soul  is  lost,  forever 
lost.'  But  when  the  guilty  spirit  was  driven  away,  in  his  wick- 
edness, those  who  wetted  the  parched  lips,  watched  the  dying 
gasp,  and  heard  the  last,  last  groan,  saw  not  the  seizure  of  the 
guilty  spirit,  when  it  was  delivered  over  to  the  tormentors,  who 
hauled  it  away  from  earth,  and  friends,  and  mercy,  to  cast  it 
into  hell ;  the  attendant  in  the  chamber  of  death  heard  not  the 
departed  spirit  plunge  into  that  lake  that  burns  with  fire  and 
brimstone.  No!  it  was  a  disembodied  spirit  that  fell.  The 
bonds  of  iniquity,  and  the  chains  of  sin,  were  not  heard  to 
clank,  when  the  unsaved  spirit  fell  down  from  the  high  precipice 
of  mercy,  into  the  lake  of  fire.  Not  a  sound  was  heard,  —  it  was 
all  the  silence  of  death.  Only  those  ears  which  death  had 
opened  could  hear  the  angry  tempest,  and  the  storms  of  wrath, 
which  raise  the  raging  billows  on  the  lake  of  fire,  and  dash 
with  burning  fury  on  their  guilty  souls.  However  loud  the 
thunder  may  roar  among  the  gloomy  caverns  in  those  regions  of 
horror  and  vengeance,  we  cannot  hear  the  sound  thereof.  How- 
ever bright  may  be  the  flashes  of  the  lightnings  of  divine  wrath, 
darting  across  the  deep  glooms  of  hell,  we  cannot  see  them. 
Let  faith  look  through  the  gates  of  hell,  —  shut,  forever  shut !  — 
and  see  those  countless  multitudes  of  lost  souls,  enduring  the 
5 


50  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

Stings  of  awakened,  guilty  consciences ;  and,  oh  !  what  anguish 
can  be  compared  to  that  of  a  spirit,  when  it  thus  grovels  in 
shame,  rouses  in  fury,  lowers  in  disappointment,  pines  in 
jealousy,  stagnates  in  apathy,  crouches  in  feai:,  and  congeals 
in  despair !  What  arrows  could  be  so  sharp  ?  What  poisons  so 
deadly  ?  The  past  burning  in  light  to  its  remembrance,  and 
yet  yields  no  ray ;  consciousness  filling  up  its  solitude,  yet  finds 
no  rest ;  alone  with  its  thoughts  and  reproaches,  surrounded  by 
others  alike  wretched,  having  no  secret,  explored  and  covered 
withg^shame,  when  there  is  nothing  it  loves,  and  nothing  that 
loves  it."  Let  faith,  we  say,  look  through  the  infernal  gates, 
and  get  a  distinct  view  of  these  fearful  realities ;  or  take  the 
doctrine  of  the  glories  of  heaven,  or  the  great  atonement,  and 
view  them  in  all  their  bearings  on  its  interests,  and  how  power- 
ful will  be  the  faithful  vision,  in  its  influence  on  the  soul !  Thus 
faith  derives  power  from  its  objects  —  objects  compared  with 
which  earth  is  an  atom,  time  a  moment,  and  the  present  uni- 
verse a  passing  shadow. 

Do  you  want  a  proof  of  the  power  of  faith?  Read  the 
eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews ;  there  you  will  see  its  amazing 
effects.  Do  you  want  a  proof  of  the  power  of  faith  ?  Look  up 
among  the  blessed,  —  survey  their  dignity,  their  purity,  their 
glory,  —  and  remember  it  was  by  faith  they  were  justified,  puri- 
fied, preserved,  —  by  faith  they  entered  heaven. 

We  have  considered  why  God  saves  by  faith,  the  nature  of 
faith,  the  difference  between  faith  and  knowledge,  the  amaz- 
ing power  of  faith.  Now,  we  ask,  penitent  sinner,  do  you 
believe  for  pardon  ?  Those  of  you  who  are  seeking  the  witness 
of  the  Spirit,  and  purity  of  heart,  are  you  believing  for  the 
blessing  you  need  ?  My  God  is  in  this  place.  He  is  purifying 
some  of  your  hearts.  "What  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye 
pray,"  &c. 

Unconverted  man,  do  you  believe  in  the  great  verities  of 
religion?  You.  ure  shut  u]^  to  the  faith,  or  to  da7nnation!  Two 
ways  open  before  you  —  faith,  that  leads  to  Calvary  and  heaven  ; 
and  unbelief,  that  leads  to  hell.  You  are  shut  up  to  one  or  the 
other  of  these.     You  may  tremble  between  the  two,  and  refuse 


PURIFICATION    BY    FAITH.  51 

to  decide,  but  death  will  soon  decide  for  you.  You  are  on  the 
narrow  ridge  of  sand,  and  the  waves  of  time  are  silently,  but 
surely,  washing  it  away,  sand  by  sand.  You  cannot  occupy 
your  present  position  long.  A  decision  will  soon  be  imperative 
upon  you.  Procrastination  may  prove  destruction  ;  delay  may 
be  death.  Spurn  the  allurements  which  entice  you  from  your 
Saviour;  burst  the  fetters  which  bind  you;  lift  your  eye  to 
Calvary ;  believe  and  live.  , 

Says  a  late  writer,  when  appealing  to  sinners  :  —  "  On  a  part 
of  the  British  coast,  where  beetling  cliffs,  from  three  to  five 
hundred  feet  in  height,  overhang  the  ocean,  some  individuals, 
during  a  certain  season  of  the  year,  obtain  a  solitary  livelihood 
by  collecting  the  eggs  of  rock-birds,  and  gathering  samphire. 
The  way  in  which  they  pursue  this  hazardous  calling  is  as  fol- 
lows :  —  The  man  drives  an  iron  crow-bar  securely  into  the 
ground,  about  a  yard  from  the  edge  of  the  precipice.  To  that 
crow-bar  he  makes  fast  a  rope,  of  which  he  then  lays  hold.  He 
next  slides  gently  over  the  cliff,  and  lowers  himself  till  he 
reaches  the  ledges  and  crags,  where  he  expects  to  find  the 
object  of  his  pursuit.  To  gain  these  places  is  sometimes  a  dif- 
ficult task;  and  when  they  fall  within  the  perpendicular,  the 
only  method  of  accomplishing  it  is  for  the  adventurer  to  swing 
in  the  air,  till,  by  dexterous  management,  he  can  so  balance 
himself  as  to  reach  the  spot  on  which  he  wishes  to  descend.  A 
basket,  made  for  the  purpose,  and  strapped  between  the  shoul- 
ders, contains  the  fruit  of  his  labor ;  and  when  he  has  filled  the 
basket,  or  failed  in  the  attempt,  he  ascends,  hand  over  hand,  to 
the  summit.  On  one  occasion,  a  man  who  was  thus  employed, 
in  gaining  a  narrow  ledge  of  rock,  which  was  overhung  by  a 
higher  portion  of  the  cliff,  secured  his  footing,  but  let  go  the 
rope.  He  at  once  perceived  his  peril.  No  one  could  come  to 
his  rescue,  or  even  hear  his  cries.  The  fearful  alternative 
immediately  flashed  on  his  mind :  it  was,  being  starved  to 
death,  or  dashed  to  pieces  four  hundred  feet  below !  On  turn- 
ing round,  he  saw  the  rope  he  had  quitted,  but  it  was  far  away. 
As  it  swung  backwards  and  forwards,  its  long  vibrations  testified 
the  mighty  efforts  by  which  he  had  reached  the  deplorable  pre- 


62  '  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

dicament  in  which  he  stood.  He  looked  at  the  rope  in  agony. 
He  had  gazed  but  a  little  while,  when  he  noticed  that  every 
movement  was  shorter  than  the  one  preceding,  so  that  each  time 
it  came  the  nearest,  as  it  was  gradually  subsiding  to  a  point  of 
rest,  it  was  a  little  further  off  than  it  had  been  the  time  before. 
He  briefly  reasoned  thus :  — '  That  rope  is  my  only  chance  of 
life  ;  in  a  little  while  it  will  be  forever  beyond  my  reach  ;  it  is 
nearer  now.  than  it  ever  will  be  again ;  I  can  but  die ;  here 
goes ! '  So  saying,  he  sprang  from  the  cliff,  as  the  rope  was 
next  approaching,  caught  it  in  his  grasp,  and  went  home  rejoic- 
ing." Sinner,  you  tremble  at  this  incident ;  believe  me,  yours 
is  greater  peril!  Beneath  you  yawns  the  lake,  that  burneth 
with  fire  and  brimstone ;  stand  where  you  are,  you  cannot ;  time 
will  force  you  thence.  Salvation  is  set  before  you  ;  it  is  as  near, 
perhaps  nearer  now,  than  ever  it  will  be  again ;  lay  hold  of  it ; 
cling  to  it  with  the  firmness  of  a  death  grasp.  This  is  your 
only  chance  of  safety ;  and  it  is  not  a  chance  alone ;  it  is  a  cer- 
tainty—  a  glorious  certainty;  and  the  only  danger  is,  that, 
refusing  to  embrace  it,  you  will  defer  escape  until  it  becomes 
impossible.  Then,  make  that  plunge  at  once;  beneath  you  are 
the  everlasting  arms ;  believe,  and  feel  his  purifying  power. 


SERMON  IV. 


THE   FEAR  OF  DEATH   DESTROYED    BY  A  SIGHT  OF  CHRIST. 

And  it  was  revealed  unto  him  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  should  not  see  death 
before  he  had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ.  —  Luke  2  :  26. 

Bless  the  Lord !  my  soul  is  very  happy  this  morning ;  all  is 
serene  and  beautiful.     All  is  calm  and  sunshine  within. 

"Not  a  cloud  doth  arise,  to  darken  the  skies  ; 
Or  hide,  for  a  moment,  my  God  from  my  eyes." 

Hallelujah !  my  soul  is  very  happy.  My  feelings  were  of  an 
awful  character,  whilst  preaching  to  you  last  evening,  from  that 
solemn  passage  of  God's  word,  "  Because  I  have  called,  and  ye 
refused,"  &c.  I  felt  I  had  a  message  from  God  to  some  persons 
in  the  congregation,  and  I  believe  it  was  a  message  of  life  and 
death  with  them ;  it  was  salvation  or  damnation.  I  believe 
a  rejection  of  God's  offer  of  mercy  would  speedily  have  sealed 
their  doom ;  but  they  are  here  in  this  congregation  this  morn- 
ing, and  they  may  be  saved  this  day.  I  believe  they  will  be 
saved  ere  the  sun  shall  again  go  down, —  ere  we  leave  this 
house. 

Our  text  is  a  joyful  exclamation  of  a  venerable  old  saint,  upon 
seeing  the  Lord's  Christ.  It  seems  that  when  his  eyes  once 
looked  upon  Jesus,  he  never  wished  them  to  gaze  on  aught 
more  on  earth.  Hence  he  exclaimed,  "Now,  Lord,  lettest  thou 
thy  servant  depart  in  peace."     We  remark  — 

L  That  God  always  honors  pre-eminently  devoted  men. 

"  Them  that  honor  me,"  saith  the  Lord,  "  will  I  honor." 
Again,  "  The  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  him." 
If  you  attentively  observe  the  history  of  men  who  have  risen  far 
5* 


54  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

above  the  common  standard  of  Christian  experience,  men  of 
eminent  piety,  you  will  generally  fmd  that  such  men  are  signally 
honored  of  God  by  some  remarkable  interpositions  of  Providence, 
by  some  special  answers  to  prayer,  by  the  bestOwment  of  some 
gift,  or  by  being  rendered  instrumental  in  the  salvation  of  mul- 
titudes of  immortal  souls.  These  remarks  could  be  borne  out  by 
a  reference  to  the  lives  of  holy  men.  With  Abraham  God  con- 
versed as  a  man  with  his  friend,  and  when  about  to  destroy 
Sodom,  the  matter  was  revealed  to  Abraham.  Joseph  was  made 
the  saviour  of  a  nation.  Moses  was  called  up  to  Sinai  to  com- 
mune with  the  Deity  for  forty  days.  What  a  shield  did  God 
hold  over  David ;  truly  he  was  immortal  till  his  work  was  done. 
Enoch  and  Elijah  were  taken  to  heaven  without  dying.  An 
angel  descended  with  Daniel  into  the  lions'  den  to  shut  their 
mouths.  A  form  like  the  Son  of  God  is  seen  walking  in  the 
fiery  furnace  with  the  three  Hebrew  youths,  so  that  the  smell 
of  fire  does  not  pass  upon  them.  Paul  is  saved  in  a  storm  at 
sea,  while  the  waves  were  commissioned  to  dash*  to  pieces  the 
vessel ;  and  an  angel  stands  by  him  on  the  deck,  and  Paul's  life 
is  spared,  and  the  lives  of  the  whole  crew  are  given  to  him. 
We  might  refer  you  to  Wesley,  Whitefield,  Bramwell,  Smith, 
and  a  long  list  of  others,  and  in  some  way  or  another  God  has 
specially  honored  every  one  of  them.  We  have  a  case  in  point 
in  our  text.  The  time  had  come  when  the  great  Messiah  was 
about  to  appear  in  the  world,  and  this  great  fact  God  reveals  to 
Simeon.  It  was  revealed  to  him  that  he  should  not  see  death 
till  he  had  seen  the  Lord's'  Christ.  Undevout  minds  are  too 
worldly,  too  apathetic,  too  dull,  to  hear  the  secret  whispering  of 
heaven.  'Tis  the  spiritual  ear  alone  that  can  hear  the  still  small 
voice  that  comes  across  the  universe  from  the  spirit  world  —  'tis 
the  spiritual  eye  alone  that  reads  the  secrets  of  eternity,  that 
sees  passing  in  review  before  it  the  realities  of  the  hidden 
state.  Some  simple-hearted  Christians  were  once  returning 
from  chapel ;  they  had  been  to  hear  the  holy  Bramwell  preach. 
One  of  them  said  to  the  other,  "  How  is  it  that  Mr.  Bramwell 
has  always  something  new  to  tell  us?" 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  other,  "  I  can  tell  you  how  it  is ;  he  lives  very 


FEAR  OF  DEATH  DESTROYED  BY  CHRIST.         55 

much  nearer  the  gates  of  heaven  than  many  of  us,  and  God  tells 
him  things  he  does  not  tell  other  people." 

And  so  it  was  with  Simeon.  He  lived  very  much  nearer  the 
gates  of  heaven  than  many  of  his  day ;  and  God  honored  him  by 
telling  him  this  great  fact.  It  was  revealed  unto  Simeon  that 
he  should  not  see  death  till  he  had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ. 

II.  Simeon  was  a  man  of  pre-eminent  devotedness  to 
God. 

"  And,  behold,"  say  the  scriptures,  "  there  was  a  man  in  Jeru- 
salem whose  name  was  Simeon."  Observes  an  eminent  divine, 
"  No  doubt  there  were  many  persons  in  Jerusalem  named  Simeon, 
besides  this  "man,  but  there  was  none  of  the  name  who  merited 
the  attention  of  God  so  much  as  he  in  the  text"  There  are 
four  things  said  about  him  in  the  text,  every  one  of  which  is  an 
evidence  of  his  great  devotedness.  It  is  said  of  him  that  he  was 
just,  devout,  that  he  waited  for  the  consolation  of  Israel,  and  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  was  upon  him.  He  had  been  reconciled  to  God. 
This  is  assumed,  for  without  this  there  would  have  been  no 
devotedness,  no  waiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  never  would  have  rested  upon  him.  He  believed 
the  divine  promise,  and  therefore  waited  for  the  consolation  of 
Israel.  He  was  devout,  —  his  soul  went  up  in  earnest  prayer 
and  thanksgiving  to  God,  —  and  the  Holy  Ghost  was  upon  him. 
See  what  a  beautiful  gradation  is  here.  Jzist  man,  just  before 
God,  justified  through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Just  before  men 
in  all  his  actions,  thus  proving  to  the  world  that  he  was  justified 
before  God.  A  right  heart  and  a  right  life.  Devout,  not  a 
religion  of  mere  forms  and  ceremonies,  but  devoutness  of  soul 
ivaiting  for  all  the  fulness  of  Christ ;  and  then  the  great  crown- 
ing point,  the  Holy  Ghost  resting  upon  him,  attesting  the  divine 
approval,  aiding  him  in  his  devotedness,  guiding  him  in  the 
temple  to  see  the  Lord's  Christ.  You  cannot  dispense  with  one 
of  these  elemerrts  from  eminent  piety,  reconciliation,  devoutness, 
a  waiting  upon  God,  and  the  possession  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  0  ! 
what  a  sublime  spectacle  is  a  devout  man,  —  a  man  in  audience 
with  the  Deity,  —  a  man   breathing  his   thoughts,  and   those 


56  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

thoughts  being  taken  up  into  the  thoughts  of  the  great  God,  — 
a  man  on  whom  the  gaze  of  Infinite  Holiness  is  fixed  with 
supreme  delight,  —  a  man  standing  on  the  mount  of  communion, 
catching  the  warblings  of  the  triumphant  church,  exclaiming, 

"I  hear,  or  dream  I  hear,  the  distant  strain, 
Sweet  to  the  soul,  and  tasting  strong  of  heaven." 

Than  a  man  in  communion  with  God,  there  is  no  sight  on 
earth,  nor  in  heaven,  more  sublime.  A  virtuous  man  said,  a  phi- 
losopher is  the  noblest  work  of  God ;  but  we  would  rather  say,  a 
Christian  —  a  devout  man  —  is  the  noblest  work  of  God.  Such 
a  man  is  God's  jewel,  his  friend ;  't  is  with  him  God  delights  to 
dwell ;  't  is  to  him  God  will  tell  his  secrets ;  on  him  confer  his 
richest  honors.  Simeon  was  such  a  man ;  God  honored  him  by- 
telling  him  the  great  fact,  that  before  death  should  close  his 
eyes,  he  should  see  the  Lord's  Christ. 

III.  —  That  though  Simeon   was   an   eminently  devoted 

MAN,  he  had  great  DISCOURAGEMENT  IN  OBTAINING  A  SIGHT  OF 
THE    OBJECT   HE    SO   EXTREMELY    DESIRED. 

What  Simeon  wanted  was  to  see  the  Lord's  Christ.  Unbelief 
would  suggest  to  him,  "  Simeon,  you  are  an  old  man  ;  your  day 
is  almost  ended ;  the  snow  of  age  is  upon  your  head  ;  your  eyes 
are  growing  dim,  your  brow  is  v/rinkled,  your  limbs  totter,  and 
death  cannot  be  at  a  great  distance,  and  where  are  the  signs  of 
his  coming  ?  You  are  resting,  Simeon,  on  a  phantom  of  the 
imagination  —  it  is  all  a  delusion." 

"  No,"  replies  Simeon,  "  I  shall  not  see  death  till  I  have  seen 
the  Lord's  Christ.     Yes,  I  shall  see  him  before  I  die." 

But  unbelief  would  again  suggest,  "  Remember,  Simeon,  many 
holy  men  have  desired  to  see  the  Lord's  Christ,  but  have  died 
without  the  sight;  men  quite  as  holy  as  you  are,  who  did  ser- 
vice for  God  such  as  you  have  never  done ;  and  how  do  you  sup- 
pose that  you  will  be  permitted  to  see  the  great  Messiah  ? " 

"  Yes,"  says  Simeon,  "  I  shall  see  the  Lord's  Christ.  These 
eyes  will  not  be  dimmed  by  the  shadows  of  death  till  I  have  seen 


FEAR    OF    DEATH    DESTROYED   BY   CHRIST.  57 

him ;  God  has  said  the  word,  and  I  shall  see  him  for  myself; 
mine  eyes  shall  behold  him,  and  not  another." 

I  imagine  I  see  Simeon  walking  out,  on  a  fine  morning,  along 
one  of  the  lovely  vales  of  Palestine,  meditating  on  the  great  sub- 
ject that  filled  his  mind.  He  is  met  by  one  of  his  friends  — 
"  Peace  be  with  you ;  have  you  heard  the  strange  news  ?  " 

"  What  news  ?  "  replied  Simeon. 

"  Do  you  not  know  Zacharias  the  Priest  ?  " 

"Yes,  well." 

"  According  to  the  custom  of  the  priest's  office,  his  lot  was  to 
bum  incense  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  the  whole  multitude 
of  the  people  were  praying  without.  It  was  the  time  of  incense, 
and  there  appeared  unto  him  an  angel  standing  on  the  right  side 
of  the  altar  of  incense,  and  told  him  that  he  should  have  a  son, 
whose  name  should  be  called  John ;  one  who  should  be  great  in 
the  sight  of  the  Lord,  who  should  neither  drink  wine  nor  strong 
drink,  and  he  should  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  from  his 
infancy,  and  that  he  should  go  before  the  Messiah  in  the  spirit 
and  power  of  Elias,  to  turn  many  of  the  people  of  Israel  to  the 
Lord,  and  make  ready  a  people '  prepared  for  the  Lord.  The 
angel  was  Gabriel,  that  stands  in  the  presence  of  God ;  and 
because  he  believed  not  the  angel,  he  was  struck  dumb." 

"  Ah  !  "  says  Simeon,  "  that  is  an  exact  fulfilment  of  the  proph- 
ecy of  Malachi  (4 :  5,  6).  This  is  the  messenger  of  the  Lord, 
to  prepare  the  way — this  is  the  forerunner  —  this  is  the  morn- 
ing star ;  the  day  dawn  is  not  far  ofi" —  the  great  Messiah  is  on 
his  way  —  is  nigh  at  hand.  I  shall  not  see  death  till  I  have 
seen  the  Lord's  Christ.  Hallelujah !  the  Lord  shall  suddenly 
come  to  his  temple." 

Simeon  ponders  these  things  in  his  heart,  and  time  rolls  on. 
I  imagine  I  see  Simeon  again  on  his  morning  meditative  walk. 
He  is  again  accosted  by  one  of  his  neighbors  —  "  Well,  Simeon, 
have  you  heard  the  news  ? " 

"  What  news  ? " 

"  Why,  there  's  a  very  singular  story  almost  in  everybody's 
mouth.  A  company  of  shepherds  on  the  plains  of  Bethlehem 
were  watching  their  flocks;  it  was  the  still  hour  of  night,  and 


58  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

the  mantle  of  darkness  covered  the  world ;  a  bright  light  shone 
around  the  shepherds,  a  light  above  the  brightness  of  the  mid- 
day sun ;  they  looked  up,  and  just  above  them  appeared  an  angel 
glowing  in  all  the  lovely  hues  of  heaven.  The  shepherds  became 
greatly  terrified,  and  the  angel  said  to  them,  '  Fear  not,  behold 
1  bring  you  glad  tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people. 
For  unto  you  is  born  this  day,  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Saviour, 
which  is  Christ  the  Lord ;  and,  as  a  proof  of  what  I  say,  if  you 
will  go  to  Bethlehem,  you  will  find  him  wrapped  in  swaddling 
clothes  and  laid  in  a  manger.'  When  the  angel  had  finished 
the  story,  suddenly  there  was  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host 
praising  God,  and  saying,  '  G  lory  to  God  in  the  highest,  peace 
on  earth,  and  good  will  to  man.'  The  shepherds  hastened  away 
to  Bethlehem,  and  found  it  just  as  the  angel  had  stated.  As 
they  entered  the  stable,  the  rude  oxen  were  feeding  by  the  man- 
ger; and  there  stood  Joseph,  a  quiet,  harmless-looking  young 
man ;  there  was  also  a  lovely  woman,  watching  with  intense 
interest  over  an  infant  that  lay  in  the  manger.  When  they 
heaved  up  the  cloth  that  covered  the  infant,  oh,  what  a  lovely 
face  they  beheld !  Never  had  mortal  eyes  gazed  on  so  lovely  a 
face  as  that  before  !  ", 

"  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  Simeon,  "  born  in  Bethelem,  of  the  line- 
age of  David,  —  born  of  a  virgin,  and,  then,  just  at  this  time, — 
the  very  place  predicted  by  the  prophet,  —  the  exact  time  fore- 
tol4  by  Daniel,  —  the  exact  fulfilment  of  the  predictions  of  Isaiah, 
—  the  circumstances  all  wonderfully  agree  ;  and,  then,  the  scep- 
tre was  not  to  have  departed  from  Judah  till  the  Messiah  should 
appear.  This  is  the  Lord's  Christ.  I  shall  not  see  death  till  I 
have  seen  the  Lord's  Christ."  Then  Simeon  probably  said  to 
himself,  "  They  will  bring  him  to  the  temple  to  circumcise  him.'* 
Away  went  Simeon,  morning  after  morning,  to  see  if  he  could 
get  a  glimpse  of  Jesus. 

Those  who  are  seeking  Jesus  will  be  found  waiting  for  him 
in  the  temple;  'tis  there  he  is  often  found.  He  has  said, 
"  Wheresoever  two  or  three  are  met  together  in  my  name,  there 
am  I  in  the  midst  of  them."  It  is  a  good  thing  to  be  found  by 
the  way.     If  the  blind  men  had  not  been  by  the  wayside,  where 


FEAR  OF  DEATH  DESTROYED  BY  CHRIST.        59 

the  Saviour  passed  by,  they  might  have  remained  blind  forever. 
Go  to  the  temple ;  the  great  physician  often  passes  by  there,  and 
heals  the  sin-sick  souls.  Perhaps  unbelief  suggested  to  Simeon, 
"  You  had  better  stop  at  home,  this  wet  morning.  You  have 
been  so  many  mornings  and  have  not  seen  him,  you  may  venture 
to  be  absent  this  once." 

"  No,"  says  the  Spirit,  "  you  must  go  to  the  temple." 
Away  went  Simeon  to  the  temple.  He  would  no  doubt  select 
a  good  post  of  observation.  Look  at  him  there,  leaning  his  back 
against  one  of  the  pillars  of  the  temple  —  how  intently  he  watch- 
es the  door !  He  sees  one  mother  after  another  bringing  her 
infant  to  the  temple  to  be  circumcised ;  he  surveys  the  face  of 
every  child.  "  No,"  says  he,  as  his  eye  scans  the  countenance, 
"  that  is  not  he,  and  that  is  not ;  "  but  at  length  he  sees  the  vir- 
gin appear,  and  the  Spirit  told  him  that  that  was  the  long-expect- 
ed Saviour.  He  grasps  the  child  in  his  arms,  and  pressed  him 
to  his  heart,  and  exclaimed,  "  Now,  Lord,  lettest  thou  thy  servant 
depart  in  peace,  according  to  thy  word :  for  mine  eyes  have  seen 
thy  salvation."  Simeon  had  seen  Jesus,  and  wished  at  once  to 
'pass  away  to  the  spirit  world.  The  one  grand  object  of  Simeon 
was  to  see  the  Lord's  Christ.  Between  Simeon  and  an  awak- 
ened sinner  there  is  one  point  of  agreement :  they  both  desire 
to  see  one  object  —  the  Lord's  Christ.  When  a  sinner  is 
awakened,  fully  aroused  to  a  sense  of  his  danger,  around  his 
mind  the  lightnings  of  divine  truth  flash;  in  the  blaze  of  that 
light  (as  the  clouds  break  that  enveloped  him),  he  sees  a  bound- 
less immensity  ;  before  him  a  bleak  untravelled  eternity ;  above 
him,  frowning  upon  him  from  a  burning  throne,  a  holy  God ;  he 
sees  himself  sleeping  on  a  precipice,  on  the  crumbling  edge  of 
ruin,  with  vengeance  pending  ready  to  burst  upon  him,  and 
flames  roaring  around ;  while  beneath  him,  at  his  feet,  roll  the 
waves  of  a  burning  hell;  within  him,  the  stings  of  a  guilty  con- 
science. Hear  him  —  "  What  must  I  do  ?  Whither  can  I  fly  ? 
Fly  from  God,  I  cannot,  nor  from  myself.  Which  way  1  fly  is 
hell  —  myself  am  hell  —  a  weight,  like  a  tremendous  mountain, 
presses  me  down  —  the  very  glooms  of  death  envelop  me. 
What  must  I  do  ?     I  want  help  —  to  whom  must  I  look  ?  " 


60  REVIVAL     MISCELLANIES. 

Behold,  a  ray  of  light  breaks  in  upon  him  —  one  single,  but 
bright  ray.  It  keeps  him  from  utter  despair,  it  gives  him  a  faint 
hope,  it  enables  him  tremblingly  to  say,  "  Before  I  see 
death,  I  shall  see  the  Lord's  Christ."  Then,  unbelief  sug- 
gests, "  How  do  you  suppose  that  you  will  be  permitted  to  see 
the  Lord's  Christ  ?  Do  you  think  the  great  Jehovah,  whose 
majesty  almost  confounds  the  cherubim  and  saraphim,  —  at  least 
compels  them  to  cover  over  their  bright  faces  with  their  wings, 
and  fall  before  his  throne  in  deep  adoration,  —  whose  temple  is 
all  space,  —  whose  arm  is  around  all  worlds,  —  who  inhabits 
eternity,  —  at  w^hose  bidding  the  sun  lights  up  his  fire,  —  whose 
empire  is  so  vast  that  were  an  angel,  with  the  lightning's  swift- 
ness, to  fly  in  a  direct  line  from  the  centre,  he  would  not,  in  mil- 
lions of  years,  sweep  the  outskirts  of  his  creation,  —  '  who  sits 
upon  the  highest  heavens,  and  sees  worlds  infinite  dance  beneath 
him  as  atoms  in  the  sunbeam,  —  you  an  atom,  a  shade,  a  moth, 
a  worm,  a  flower  of  the  field  to-day  and  not  to-morrow,  in  the 
morning  and  not  at  night,  not  master  of  a  moment,  not  a  match 
for  a  breeze,  a  dream,  a  vapor,  a  shadow,'  a  sinner  born  to  die, 
—  how  do  you  suppose  he  will  show  you  the  Lord's  Christ?" 
The  awakened  sinner  replies  :  "  One  thing  I  know  —  I  dare  not 
die  till  I  have  seen  the  Lord's  Christ.  I  cannot  endure  that 
horrid  sting  that  gleams  in  Death's  uplifted  arm,  I  dare  not  face 
that  grisly  king  of  terrors  in  my  sins,  I  cannot  plunge  •  into  the 
future,  till  my  load  of  guilty  woe  is  gone.  Ah !  't  is  the  open 
books,  the  terrible  judgment,  the  awful  unknown  horrors  that  lie 
concealed  in  the  future,  —  't  is  those  things  I  cannot  endure  — 
that  death  so  terrible  without  Christ.  'T  is  true,  I  am  insignifi* 
cant,  a  shade,  a  blast,  a  worm ;  and,  what  is  worse,  a  sinner. 
'T  is  true,  God  is  great,  beyond  even  angelic  conception  ;  but  he 
humbles  himself  to  behold  the  things  done  in  heaven  and  on 
earth.  He  balances  the  planets  in  their  motions  ;  yea,  he  tinges 
the  wing  of  the  little  insect  that  buzzes  for  an  hour  in  the  sun- 
beam, and  then  yields  up  its  existence.  He  paints  with  lovely 
hues  the  beautiful  little  flower  that  blooms  in  my  path ;  and  is 
it  not  written  in  his  book  that  a  sparrow  does  not  fall  to  the 
ground  without  his  notice  ?  —  that  he  clothes  the  lily  of  the  val- 


FEAR  OF  DEATH  DESTROYED  BY  CHRIST.        61 

ley,  and  numbers  the  hairs  of  my  head  ?  Then,  the  magnitude 
of  his  engagements  does  not  overwhelm  him,  nor  their  multi- 
tude confound  him.  While  he  is  balancing  the  motions  of  the 
planets,  governing  the  armies  of  heaven,  and  superintending  the 
vast  universe,  he  can,  at  the  same  time,  bend  all  that  attention 
to  me  as  fully  as  though  I  was  the  only  object  of  his  care.  He 
made  me,  and  by  some  unseen,  mysterious  power,  he  bids  my 
heart  beat  sixty  times  a  minute,  and  my  blood  to  course  its  way 
round  my  system,  —  he  upholds  my  soul  in  life.  He  cares,  then, 
for  my  body.  Will  he  be  less  concerned  about  my  soul  ?  Will 
he  arrange  all  nature  to  minister  to  my  bodily  wants,  and  leave 
my  soul  to  perish  ?  No  —  that  is  unlike  him.  Would  he  give 
his  Bible  to  guide  me,  his  Son  to  die  for  me,  and  his  heaven  for 
my  eternal  home,  and  then  refuse  to  save  me  ?  No  —  I  would, 
rather  believe  that,  were  he  creating  a  new  system  like  the  solar 
system  of  which  we  form  a  part,  and  were  a  sinner  to  send  up  a 
cry  for  mercy,  that,  could  he  not  attend  to  the  two  things  at 
once,  he  would  stop  the  work  of  creation  till  he  had  saved  the 
sinner.  He  will  not  overlook  me  —  he  will  not  leave  me  to 
perish.     Before  I  see  death,  I  shall  see  the  Lord's  Christ." 

Unbelief  again  suggests, "  Are  not  your  sins  too  great  in  mag- 
nitude and  multitude  to  be  forgiven?  Had  you  repented  years 
ago,  —  had  you  sought  mercy  in  your  youthful  days,  when  the 
Spirit  of  God  strove  with  you,  before  you  had  sinned  away  your 
day  of  grace,  —  you  might  have  been  forgiven  ;  but  now  is  not 
your  day  of  grace  forever  closed  ?  "  The  sinner  answers  :  "  I 
know  my  sins  are  many  ;  I  may  as  well  try  to  number  the  hairs 
of  my  head,  the  sands  of  the  ocean,  or  the  stars  of  heaven,  as 
number  them ;  and  as  to  their  magnitude,  when  I  consider  the 
extent  of  the  law  I  have  broken,  the  circumstances  under  which 
they  were  perpetrated,  the  Being  against  whom  they  were  com- 
mitted,—  when  I  consider  that  conscience  lifted  up  its  warning 
voice,  that  the  blessed  Spirit  wooed,  and  strove,  and  flashed  his 
light  across  my  soul  to  check  me,  —  that  heaven  closed  up  its 
doors  to  shut  me  out,  —  that  the  holy  God  frowned  upon  me,  — 
that  hell  seemed  moved  from  beneath  to  meet  me,  —  that  the 
Gospel  put  a  torch  in  my  hand,  and  led  me  up  the  hill  of  Cal- 
6 


62  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

vary  to  look  upon  the  torn,  bleeding,  dying  Redeemer,  and 
though  he  cast  a  look  upon  me  of  the  softest  pity,  and  all  his 
wounds  seemed  to  have  tongues  exclaiming,  '  I  suffered  this  for 
you ! '  —  yet  I  sinned  on  still ;  —  when  I  look  at  these  things,  I 
see  my  sins  like  mountains  rising  before  me,  the  summits  of  which 
seem  to  scale  the  very  heavens.  Their  stains  on  my  soul  are 
black  as  hell ;  and  there  is  one  sin  in  particular  that  presses  on 
me  like  a  mountain  weight  —  it  seems  to  stand  out  as  a  master 
sin ;  it  is  the  sin  of  trampling  on  the  precious  blood  of  Christ — 
rejecting  for  years  the  great  atonement.  This  stamps  my  sin 
with  a  guilt  that  outvies  the  fiends  of  perdition. 

'  But  though  my  sins  like  mountains  rise, 
And  swell  and  reach  to  heaven ; 
Mercy  is  yet  above  the  skies  — 
I  still  may  be  forgiven.' 

Jesus  died  for  me,  —  not  for  himself,  but  for  all,  —  for  me.  Did 
not  Isaiah  seem  to  rush  on  over  hundreds  of  years,  and,  as  he 
walked  around  the  cross,  cry  with  a  burning  heart,  *  He  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions,  bruised  for  our  iniquities,  the 
chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and  by  his  stripes  we 
are  healed'?  Did  not  Zechariah  say, '  In  that  day  there  shall  be 
a  fountain  opened  in  the  house  of  David,  and  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Jerusalem,  for  sin  and  uncleanness '  ?  Does  not  Paul  say, 
'  How  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who,  through  the 
eternal  Spirit,  offered  himself  without  spot  to  God,  purge  your 
consciences  from  dead  works  to  serve  the  living  God '  ?  And 
did  not  Jesus  reiterate  the  united  voice  of  inspiration  when  he 
said,  on  the  cross, '  It  is  finished '  ?  And  when  he,  the  Saviour, 
bowed  his  blessed  head,  and  died,  did  he  not  do  all  that  was 
necessary  —  all  that  Heaven  required  ?  Paul  said  it  was  for  the 
whole  world,  and  John  said  it  was  for  all  sin.  If,  then,  he  died 
for  all  men,  he  must  have  died  for  me  ;  if  for  all  sin,  then  he 
must  have  died  for  mine.  Here 's  a  great  fact,  then,  to  which  I 
will  cling  as  with  a  death  grasp.  Jesus  died  for  my  sins.  All 
the  infidels  on  earth,  and  all  the  devils  in  hell,  cannot  disprove 
this  fact.     It  was  for  man  he  died.     Well,  I  am  one  of  that  spe- 


FEAR  OF  DEATH  DESTROYED  BY  CHRIST.        63 

cies.     It  was  for  the  lost  —  I  am  lost ;  it  was  for  sinners  —  I  am 
a  sinner.     Then  I  may  boldly  sing  — 

*  Who  did  for  every  sinner  die, 
Hath  surely  died  for  me.' 

"  But  does  the  death  of  Christ  reach  my  case  ? "  It  reached 
the  case  of  a  Manasseh,  a  Saul  of  Tarsus,  a  Magdalene,  a  dying 
thief.  0  !  the  blood,  the  precious  blood,  of  Christ !  the  blood  of 
the  great  atonement !  I  fancy  I  see  its  influence  girdling  the 
world.  It  can  reach  the  case  of  every  sinner  in  this  chapel ;  of 
every  sinner  in  every  hamlet,  every  town,  every  city,  every  nation, 
every  continent ;  and,  I  had  like  to  have  said,  if  every  one  of  those 
globes  of  light  that  gleam  out  upon  us  from  the  deep-blue  heav- 
ens were  peopled  with  sinners,  as  numerous  and  guilty  as  the 
sinners  of  the  planet  on  which  we  live,  the  blood  of  the  great 
sacrifice  is  efficacious  enough  to  cleanse  the  whole  from  sin  — 
enough  to  cleanse  me.  "  Did  he  die  for  me  ?  Then  he  will 
not  reject  me  —  he  will  not  cast  me  off  forever.  He  has  bid 
me  look  to  him  and  be  saved ;  then  I  shall  not  die  till  I  have 
seen  the  Lord's  Christ." 

But  unbelief  again  suggests,  "  Do  you  suppose  that  the  sins 
of  an  age  can  be  pardoned  in  a  moment  of  time  —  sins  that  have 
spread  over  years  of  your  life  ?  Could  you,  by  deeds  of  sacrifice, 
make  some  amends  to  Heaven  for  the  deep  wrongs  you  have 
inflicted, — could  you  repair  the  breach  in  the  broken  law, — could 
you  satisfy  offended  justice,  —  make  a  rigid  reformation,  —  weep 
and  groan  out  months  and  years  to  come,  —  then  you  may  hope 
to  be  forgiven." 

"  But,"  replies  the  pleading  penitent,  with  his  tearful  eye  and 
anxious  soul  gazing  towards  the  Saviour  of  sinners,  "  ah  !  if 
that  be  true,  if  I  am  to  wait  years,  ere  those  years  shall  have 
rolled  round,  my  body  may  be  slumbering  in  the  cold  grave,  and 
my  soul  buried  deep.in  the  grave  of  a  burning  hell.  But  salva- 
tion is  not  of  works.  If  it  were,  it  would  be  a  question  of  time. 
Eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  on  the  accursed  tree,  Jesus  said,  It 
is  finished.  Then  my  sins  were  expiated;  then  the  blessed 
Saviour  heaved  the  load  from  this  guilty  world;  and,  besides, 


64  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

there  is  no  hint  in  the  Bible  that  I  must  stop  for  time.  Does  he 
not  say,  '  Come  now,  and  let  us  reason  together,  and  though  your 
sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow ;  though  they 
be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool '  ?  Then,  since  Christ 
has  finished  the  work,  —  since  the  Bible  never  hints  that  I  must 
stop  longer,  —  since  salvation  is  by  grace,  not  by  works,  —  since 
everything  is  done  that  can  be  done,  —  I  will  dare  believe.  I  will 
go  as  I  am  ;  I  will  look  up  to  the  bleeding  Saviour ;  I  will  see 
him,  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  I  will  make  my  way  to  him  step 
by  step;  and  though  it  be  through  blood,  fire,  and  death,  —  yea, 
though  all  hell  shall  oppose  my  soul,  —  I'll  fight  my  passage 
through.  I  am  a  sinner,  and  unless  saved  must  soon  sink  into  hell. 
I  stand  on  one  planet,  one  world,  but  death  will  soon  push  me 
oflT.  And  what  will  become  of  me  ?  I  see  before  me  two  worlds. 
One  of  them  is  the  burning  planet  of  hell,  and  my  sins  are  like 
weights  to  sink  me  down  within  the  sphere  of  its  gravitating 
influence.  My  soul  is  magnetized  by  sin,  and  on  my  sins  its 
gravitating  laws  will  act ;  and,  as  I  leave  this  planet,  it  will 
attract  me  downwards  towards  the  centre  of  that  fearful  region ; 
and  as  I  near  it,  those  shadowy  forms  of  lost  fiends  and  damned 
men  will  rise  up,  and,  with  withering  sarcasm,  exclaim,  '  Art 
thou  also  become  as  one  of  us  ? '  What  shall  I  do  ?  I  see  also 
another  planet,  girdled  with  a  halo  of  light  —  light  from  another 
sun.  I  see  there  a  throne  blazing  with  majesty  and  glory;  I 
see  myriads  of  shades  of  light,  moving  like  beams  of  light,  cir- 
cling that  throne.  I  see  on  it  the  King  of  eternity  —  the  God  I 
have  offended ;  but,  there  is  a  rainbow  girdling  that  throne,  and 
written  upon  it,  in  letters  of  light,  '  God  so  loved  the  world  that 
he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.'  This  is  the  good 
news  brought  me  from  that  world.  It  is  written  in  a  book. 
'  Lord !  from  that  stupendous  height,  towards  which  the  cheru- 
bim lifts  up  an  eye  in  vain,  bow  down  tljjjpe  ear,  show  me  thy 
Son !  Thou  giver,  guider,  lover,  yea,  buyer  of  souls,  let  not 
thine  anger  burn  forever;  cast  me  not  away;  reclaim,  not 
destroy  me !  Thou  didst  look  compassion  on  a  denying  Peter, 
and  did  not  reject  disbelieving  Thomas ;  thou  didst  gather  to 


FEAR  OF  DEATH  DESTROYED  BY  CHRIST.        65 

thyself  in  paradise  (where  angels  cast  their  crowns  at  thy  feet) 
a  thief  from  the  cross.  What  a  wonderful  climax  is  this !  And 
is  it  possible  for  love  to  rise  higher  still  ?  0 !  let  it  rise 
higher,  and  reach  even  me.  Does  not  thy  love,  like  a  great 
ocean,  overflow  the  whole  creation  ?  Then,  add  to  thy  other 
wonders  one  wonder  more,  and  save  even  me  I '  Yes,  thou 
wilt ;  thy  word  is  pledged ;  I  shall  see  Jam ;  these  eyes  shall 
feast  on  him ;  before  the  king  of  terrors  shall  strike  the  blow,  I 
shall  see  the  Lord's  Christ.  Then,  let  death  hurl  me  from  this 
planet,  —  let  hell  send  out  its  gravitating  influence,  — let  all  the 
fiends  of  perdition  throw  their  spell  around  me,  —  a  sight  of 
Christ  will  save  me  !  Here,  then,  I  am  shut  up  to  the  faith,  like 
a  man  shut  up  in  a  castle.  Break  through  the  walls  I  cannot ; 
to  scale  its  summit  I  have  no  power ;  but  heaven  has  opened  a 
door !  I  see  before  me  an  open  door,  —  I  look  through  it.  Yonder 
is  a  mountain ;  and  on  that  mountain  I  see  rising,  above  a  dense 
crowd  of  beings,  the  form  of  a  cross.  The  sight  wanes  away 
into  darkness,  darkness  at  noon.  How  awful  that  darkness  !  I 
feel  the  planet  on  which  I  stand  trembling  in  its  orbit.  How 
the  earth  quakes,  heaves  and  swells,  around  me !  Hark  !  the 
very  rocks  are  rending  asunder.  How  deafening  those  peals  of 
thunder !  Those  flashes  of  lightning,  how  fearfully  vivid  !  The 
storm  rages  on  —  the  elements  are  all  at  war.  Behold  the  lurid 
lightnings  playing  over  the  graveyard !  Look !  look !  the  very 
dead  are  rising  from  their  tombs.  Is  the  day  of  doom  arrived  ? 
are  the  elements  returning  to  their  chaotic  state  ?  is  the  great 
white  throne  about  to  burst  upon  our  view?  No;  I  feel  the 
trembling  of  earth  subsiding;  those  awful  sounds  are  less  loud, — 
they  grow  fainter  and  fainter.  Now,  all  is  quiet  —  quiet,  how 
fearfully  quiet !  Surely  the  very  winds  are  sleeping ;  surely 
neither  man  nor  angel  nor  devil  seems  to  breathe.  The  mad- 
dened ciy,  the  blood  cry,  the  death  cry,  the  zr^  of  crucify  Him, 
which  rang  so  wildl^round  that  summit  a  few  minutes  since, 
is  now  hushed.  0!  how  oppressive  this  silence!  'tis  like  the 
silence  of  death.  The  death  of  winds,  the  death  of  ocean,  the 
death  of  angels,  the  death  of  demons  —  the  quiet  of  universal 
death.  Hark  !  hark  I  a  faint  cry  —  it  comes  down  on  the  moan- 
er 


66  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

ing  winds  — '  Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabachthani ! '  and, '  It  is  finished  !  * 
See !  see !  a  faint  streak  of  light  breaks  —  glimmers  over  the 
mountain.  I  see,  through  the  gloom,  the  shadowy  outline  of 
a  cross.  I  see  a  form,  a  human  form,  writhing  in  agony  on  that 
cross.  I  see  blood  dripping  over  that  brow  —  dripping  from  those 
hands  and  feet  fastened  by  the  nails !  O  !  what  a  countenance 
is  that,  though  covered  with  dust,  and  sweat,  and  blood !  A 
heavenly  radiance  beams  from  it!  How  full  of  compassion! 
That  is  the  Lord's  Christ  I  See  !  my  soul,  the  pardon  of  all 
thy  sins  is  written  with  pointed  steel  and  streaming  blood  on 
his  pierced  hands  and  feet.  He  speaks  to  thee.  His  cross  is 
his  pulpit,  —  his  blood,  his  eloquence,  —  his  death,  his  subject. 
He  speaks  to  thee ;  listen,  oh,  listen  to  him  !  '  Believe,  and  thou 
hast  everlasting  life ;  believe,  and  a  grain  of  faith  will  remove 
mountains' of  guilt;  believe  with  all  thy  heart;  all  things  are 
possible  to  him  that  believeth.  Thou  hast  played  with  fiery 
serpents  ;  they  have  bitten  thy  heart,  but  I  have  already  sucked 
the  mortal  poison.  In  the  perilous  attempt,  my  soul  was  seized 
with  sorrow,  even  unto  death ;  and  an  unheard  of  agony,  attended 
with  a  bloody  sweat,  came  upon  my  body  ;  a  racking  cross  was 
the  bed  I  was  stretched  upon ;  sharp  thorns  proved  the  pillow  on 
which  I  rested  my  fainting  head ;  the  bitterest  sarcasms  were 
my  consolations  ;  vinegar  and  gall  my  cordials  ;  a  band  of  bloody 
soldiers  the  cruel  wretches  appointed  to  tear  open  my  veins; 
whips,  nails,  a  hammer,  and  a  spear,  the  instruments  allowed 
them  to  do  the  dreadful  operation.  For  hours  I  bled  under  their 
merciless  hands;  and  thy  fearful  curse,  oh!  sinner,  flowed 
together  with  my  blood.  In  the  mean  time,  noonday  light  was 
turned  into  the  gloom  of  night,  —  a  dire  emblem  of  the  darkness 
that  overspread  my  agonizing  soul,  —  and,  at  last,  while  earth- 
quakes rocked  me  into  the  sleep  of  death,  I  gave  up  the  ghost. 
And  now,  sinner,  despise  no  more  such  amazing  love ;  requite  it 
with  a  believing  look !  By  all  that  is  ne^pend  dear,  and  sacred 
to  thee,  fly  from  eternal  death  —  fly  for  eternal  life.  The  laio 
pursues  thee  with  ten  thousand  curses ;  the  sword  of  divine  ven- 
geance flames  over  thy  devoted  head.  Death  levels  his  pointed 
spear  at  thy  thoughtless  or  throbbing  heart;  hell  itself  is  moved 


FEAR    OF    DEATH    DESTROYED    BY    CHRIST.  67 

from  beneath  to  meet  thee  at  thy  coming ;  and  the  grave  gapes 
at  thy  feet,  ready  to  close  her  hideous  mouth  upon  thee.  Fly, 
then,  miserable  sinner  !  If  thy  flesh  is  not  brass,  and  thou  canst 
not  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings,  fly  for  shelter  to  my  bloody 
cross !  The  Philistines  are  upon  thee  ;  instantly  shake  thyself; 
burst  the  bonds  of  spiritual  sloth ;  break,  like  a  desperate  soul, 
out  of  the  prison  of  unbelief;  escape  for  thy  life,  —  look  not  behind 
thee,  —  stay  not  in  all  the  plain !  This  one  thing  do,  leave 
Sodom  and  her  ways  behind,  and  press  towards  the  little  Zoar, 
and  escape  to  the  mount  of  God,  lest  thou  be  consumed !  Dost 
thou  at  last  yield  ?  —  dost  thou  turn  thy  trembling  heart  and 
tearful  eye  towards  me  ? '     'Yes,'  exclaims  the  penitent  — 

'I  yield!  I  yield! 

I  can  hold  out  no  more  ; 
I  sink,  by  dying  love  compelled, 
And  own  thee  Conqueror.' 

My  one  object  now  is  to  see  thee.  Yes ;  't  is  he !  't  is  he !  My 
Lord,  that  sufl^ers  there.  Thou  art  my  salvation !  I  will  trust 
in  thee,  and  not  be  afraid !  I  dare,  I  can,  I  do  believe !  Halle- 
lujah !    My  Lord,  and  my  God !     '  Now,  Lord,  lettest  thou,  &c.' " 

When  we  have  seen  Christ,  the  sting  of  death  is  gone.  Simeon 
pressed  the  Lord's  Christ  to  his  heart,  and  then  he  never  wished 
his  eyes  to  gaze  on  aught  more  of  earth ;  and  when  the  believ- 
ing penitent  has  Christ  in  his  heart,  the  hope  of  glory,  then  he 
is  not  afraid  of  death.  Two  or  three  facts  will  bear  out  this 
statement.  Some  time  since,  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  was 
called  upon  to  visit  a  dying  woman.  He  ascended  a  flight  of 
stairs  that  led  into  a  miserable-looking  garret ;  for,  though  clean 
and  neat,  there  was  scarcely  an  article  of  furniture  to  give  an 
air  of  comfort  to  the  chamber  of  death.  In  one  corner  of  the 
room  there  was  a  bed  —  a  bed  of  straw !  On  it  lay  a  dying 
female,  pale,  and  wQffj^  to  a  skeleton ;  she  was  near  the  verge, 
the  trembling  verge,  of  eternity.  The  minister  drew  nigh,  and 
said  to  her,  "Well,  my  friend,  how  do  you  feel?  —  what  are 
your  prospects  for  the  eternity  which  is  just  about  to  open  upon 
you?" 


68  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

She  looked  up  in  the  minister's  face,  with  a  countenance  bright 
with  heavenly  radiance,  and  beaming  with  a  brightness  she  had 
caught  gazing  on  the  visions  of  God,  and  said,  ".O!  sir, 

'  'T  is  Jesus,  the  first  and  the  last, 

Whose  Spirit  shall  guide  me  safe  home  ; 
I  '11  praise  him  for  all  that  is  past, 
And  trust  him  for  all  that 's  to  come.'  " 

Christianity  can  make  a  bed  of  straw  into  a  bed  of  down ; 
can  convert  a  gloomy  sick  chamber  into  the  vestibule  of  heaven 
—  a  chamber  where  the  soul  unrobes  and  plumes  herself  for  her 
flight.     That  is  one  case  —  I  will  give  you  another. 

There  was  a  young  woman  who  had  been  converted  to  God, 
that  lived  in  a  family  where  Christianity  was  neglected  and 
despised,  especially  in  the  shape  of  Methodism.  Shortly  after 
her  conversion  she  was  laid  on  a  bed  of  sickness,  and  felt 
greatly  the  need  of  pious  counsel — of  Christian  consolation.  But 
her  friends  strongly  forbade  the  leader  of  the  class  to  which  she 
belonged  to  see  her.  The  good  man,  however,  was  not  to  be 
deterred  by  difficulties;  he  made  his  way  to  her  house,  and, 
when  denied  the  privilege  of  an  interview  with  the  dying  suf- 
ferer, he  knelt  down  outside  the  house,  under  the  window  of  the 
expiring  female,  and  lifted  up  his  voice  in  prayer  to  God  that  he 
would  support  her.  As  the  tones  of  the  Well-known  voice  in 
fervent  prayer  stole  through  her  casement,  and  fell  sweeter  than 
music  on  her  ear,  the  effect  upon  her  was  so  cheering,  that  her 
friends  resolved  to  allow  the  man  of  God  to  see  her.  As  he 
stood  by  her  bedside,  she  said  to  him,  "  O  !  sir,  I  see  before  me 
a  dark  valley  —  dark  as  the  blackest  night.  How,  oh !  how  shall 
I  get  through  it  ?  " 

"  O ! "  said  her  leader,  "  God  will  send  thousands  of  holy 
angels  to  light  up  for  you  the  dark  valley  of  death." 

Some  weeks  passed  away  ere  the  leadeff  had  an  opportunity 
of  visiting  the  young  woman  again ;  and  when  he  did  come,  she 
had  taken  her  flight  to  the  world  of  spirits.  He  inquired  of  her 
friends  what  the  state  of  her  mind  was  at  the  hour  of  death. 
"  O !  "  said  they,  "  we  scarcely  know ;  she  appeared  to  rave  a 


FEAR  OF  DEATH  DESTROYED  BY  CHRIST.        69 

little.     Just  as  she  was  dying,  she  was  crying  out,  *  Lit  up  —  lit 
up.' " 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  good  man,  "  God  had  lit  up  the  valley  of 
death."  Yea,  the  holy  angels  whispered  her  happy  spirit  away. 
She  saw  a  light  other  eyes  did  not  see;  she  heard  voices, 
voices  from  eternity  — 

"Hark!  they  whisper,  angels  say. 
Sister  spirit,  come  away !  " 

And  they  bore  her  happy  spirit  up  to  the  regions  of  immor- 
tality. The  righteous  hath  hope  in  his  death.  This  is  another 
testimony  to  the  fact  that  at  eventide  of  the  Christian  it  shall 
be  light  —  that  a  sight  of  Christ  can  banish  the  fear  of  death, 
and  enable  the  dying  saint  to  exclaim,  with  Simeon,  "  Now 
Lord,  &c." 

I  will  yet  add  one  more  testimony  to  this  truth.  In  a  cer- 
tain town,  not  long  since,  lived  a  widow  woman,  surrounded  by 
seven  children,  and  the  most  of  them  small.  Her  life  had  been 
marked  by  preeminent  devotedness.  Seldom  was  her  seat 
vacant  at  the  preaching,  either  week-night  or  Sabbath ;  and  as 
sure  as  her  class-meeting  night  came  round,  she  was  there.  Her 
prayers,  in  the  midst  of  the  little  band  with  whom  she  assembled, 
were  marked  by  great  fervor,  and  often  reached  the  point  that 
may  be  called  wrestling  with  God.  The  last  night  she  attended 
her  class-meeting,  just  one  week  before  she  died,  her  prayer 
amounted  almost  to  agony,  as  she  pleaded  for  her  class-mem- 
bers, and  the  prosperity  of  the  cause  of  God.  Every  person 
present  on  that  memorable  occasion,  who  heard  that  memorable 
prayer,  felt  that  they  were  in  a  heavenly  place,  on  the  verge,  in 
the  vestibule,  the  very  ante-chamber,  of  heaven.  On  the  Thurs- 
day evening  previous  to  her  death,  she  came  to  the  chapel  to 
hear  the  word  of  God.  The  preacher  had  been  led  out  of  his 
usual  course,  to  preach  on  that  beautiful  passage,  "  O,  that 
men  would  praise  the  Lord  for  his  goodness,  and  his  wonderful 
works  to  the  children  of  men ! "  There  she  sat  before  the 
preacher,  and  the  great  tears  coursed  their  way  down  her  cheek, 
till  she  was  completely  subdued,  and  the  tears  gushed  from  her 


70  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

eyes  while  she  contemplated  the  goodness  of  God.  When  she 
returned  home  into  the  bosom  of  her  little  family,  the  cliildren 
marked  a  heavenly  radiance  beaming  on  her  countenance,  and 
said,  "  O !  mother,  how  happy  you  look !  " 

She  replied,  "  I  wish  I  could  sing ;  I  feel  so  happy,  I  do  not 
know  what  to  do.  I  don't  know  what  is  going  to  happen,  but 
my  soul  is  filled  with  God." 

That  very  night  she  was  seized  with  an  illness  that  proved 
fatal.  Her  pain  became  of  an  excruciating  character.  She 
underwent  a  surgical  operation  extremely  painful.  While  the 
doctor  was  performing  his  operation,  she  was  shouting,  "  Glory, 
glory,  glory  to  God !  "  It  soon  became  evident  that  death  was 
rapidly  approaching,  and  her  family  gathered  around  her  dying 
bed.  One  of  the  daughters,  grown  up,  had  not  yet  given  her 
heart  to  God.  The  dying  mother  became  now  all  absorbed  in  the 
salvation  of  her  daughter ;  she  solemnly  urged  her  to  give  herself 
to  God.  She  said  to  her,  "  Will  you  meet  me  in  heaven  ?  will 
you  ?  Your  mother  will  soon  be  in  heaven.  This  is  my  last 
advice  —  will  you  meet  me  in  heaven  ?'" 

The  daughter  sobbed  out,  "  Yes,  I  will  try  to  meet  you 
there." 

Her  little  children  also  were  there.  They  were  about  to 
become  orphans;  the  father  had  died  in  the  Lord  two  years 
before.  They  had  come  to  take  the  last  view  of  their  fond 
mother  —  to  receive  her  last  blessing.  The  dying  woman  had  a 
very  aged  father  and  mother,  whose  heads  blossomed  for  eter- 
nity. They  were  sent  for  to  see  her  end.  They  came,  and  the 
meeting  was  deeply  affecting.  There  stood  the  venerable  old 
people  and  the  little  children  around  the  bed  of  the  dying  mother. 
The  interest  of  the  whole  group,  from  the  little  child  to  the 
gray-headed  parents,  was  centred  in  one  object  —  in  the  dying 
mother.  Her  spirit  was  now  quivering  on  the  very  suburbs  of 
eternity.  She,  however,  gathered  up  her  strength  for  the 
occasion  —  roused  her  spirit  to  make  one  effort  more  for  her 
God,  and  solemnly  charged  them  all  to  meet  her  in  heaven. 
Turning  to  her  little  children,  her  eye  wandered  from  them  to 
her  parents.     Like  her  dying  Master,  feeling  a  concern  for  those 


FEAR  OF  DEATH  DESTROYED  BY  CHRIST.        71 

she  was  leaving  behind,  she  said  to  her  parents,  "Will  you  take 
care  of  my  children — my  little  children  ?  " 

They  wept  as  though  their  hearts  would  break;  the  scene 
was  deeply  affecting.  Her  work  was  now  done ;  the  last  tie 
was  now  severed  —  her  charge  given  up;  her  tabernacle  was 
falling  down,  but  her  spirit  was  rising  up  in  majesty.  Her  hus- 
band had  died  about  two  years  before  —  died  in  the  Lord.  Look- 
ing intently  into  one  corner  of  the  room,  as  though  she  saw  some 
object  there,  she  called  her  husband  by  his  name,  and  exclaimed, 
"  There  are  Simeon  and  the  angels  come  for  me  —  I  shall  soon 
be  with  you  !  "  And  in  a  short  time  she  clapped  her  glad  wings 
and  towered  away,  to  mingle  with  the  blaze  of  day.  She  had 
seen  Christ,  and  could  now  say,  with  Simeon,  "  Now,  Lord, 
lettest,  &c."  This  is  another  testimony  to  the  fact  that  a  sight 
of  Christ  will  destroy  the  fear  of  death.  Come,  desponding 
believer,  and  sing  with  the  sacred  bard  — 

"  When  I  survey  the  wondrous  cross 
On  which  the  Prince  of  glory  died, 
My  greatest  gain  I  count  but  loss, 
And  pour  contempt  on  all  my  pride. 

'•Were  the  whole  realm  of  nature  mine, 
That  were  a  present  far  too  small ; 
Love  so  amazing,  so  divine, 
Demands  my  life,  my  soul,  my  all." 


SEEMON  V. 


THE   FULNESS   DWELLING   IN  JESUS    CHRIST. 

"  For  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell."— Colossians  1 :  19. 

This  is  the  last  sermon  I  expect  to  preach  in  England,  for 
the  present.  Where  I  shall  preach  again,  before  I  return  to 
England,  I  cannot  tell.     My  heart  says  — 

"Captain  of  Israel's  host,  and  Guide 
Of  all  who  seek  the  land  above. 
Beneath  thy  shadow  I  abide, 
The  cloud  of  thy  protecting  love : 
My  strength  thy  grace,  my  rule  thy  word, 
My  end  the  glory  of  the  Lord. 
By  thy  unerring  spirit  led, 

I  shall  not  in  the  desert  stray : 
I  shall  not  full  direction  need. 
Nor  miss  my  providential  way  ; 
As  far  from  danger  as  from  fear. 
While  love,  Almighty  love,  is  near." 

And,  what  is  better  than  all  poetry,  —  "  Honor  the  Lord  in  all 
thy  ways,  and  he  shall  direct  thy  paths." 

The  text  that  I  have  chosen  to-night  you  will  find  in  the  first 
chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Colossians,  the  19th  verse.  "  For 
it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  "  —  that  is,  in  Jesus  —  "  should 
all  fulness  dwells 

I  have  sometimes  sat  on  an  eminence,  since  I  have  come  to 
England,  and  I  have  watched  the  sun  going  down  over  the 
western  hills ;  and  as  the  sun  was  going  down  over  the  western 
hills  of  England,  I  have  said,  Now,  that  sun  has  to  go  away 
(vulgarly  speaking),  and  it  will  make  its  appearance  in  the  east- 
ern heavens  again :  and  then  I  have  watched  it,  and  seen  it 
rising,  and  have  cried  out,  There  's  a  tremendous  motion 
SOMEWHERE,  and  I  do  not  know  where.     Astronomy  tells  me 


THE   FULNESS    DWELLING    LN   JESUS    CHRIST.  73 

the  earth  goes  about  the  sun  ;  I  cannot  tell.  Why,  astronomers 
would  call  me  a  blockhead,  if  I  would  not  believe  it.  Well,  I 
suppose  it  is  so;  but,  after  all,  there  's  a  mystery  about  the 
revolutions  of  the  planets  that  I  cannot  understand.  All  I  have 
been  able  to  say,  in  looking  at  it,  is,  that  I  know  not  any  prin- 
ciple in  astronomy  or  philosophy  which  I  would  be  willing  to 
trust  my  soul  upon,  in  the  present  day.  But  between  the 
leaves  of  this  Bible  I  do  find  something  I  can  rest  my  soul  upon. 
I  have  seen  the  sun;  and  I  have  seen  the  moon,  appearing  in 
the  western  heavens  like  a  ring  on  a  lady's  finger,  or,  more 
properly,  like  a  Turkish  crescent;  and  I  have  watched  her 
rising  in  full-orbed  majesty  in  the  east;  and  I  have  said, 
There  's  motion  somewhere.  But  when  I  see  bund  in  motion, 
when  I  see  the  poor  sinner  on  his  knees  crying  for  mercy,  I  am 
not  at  a  loss  about  the  motion  there;  I  know  its  cause;  it  is  at 
the  centre ;  it  originates  wath  Christ  ;  for  it  pleased  the  Father 
that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell. 

And  I  have  sat  by  the  ocean  shore,  and  have  watched  the  tid* 
coming  in :  and  I  have  watched  it  coming  in,  and  it  has  beaten 
me  back  from  rock  to  rock,  and  it  has  demanded  every  inch  of 
me,  and  the  language  of  the  incoming  tide  has  said,  "  Go  back ! 
go  back !  "  and  if  I  dared  to  stand  my  ground,  it  would  come 
upon  me  to  beat  me  back.  I  have  said.  There  's  tremendous 
MOTION  somewhere.  And  I  have  watched  the  tide  filling  every 
creek,  every  crevice  along  the  shore  ;  and  I  have  said.  There  's 
TREMENDOUS  MOTION  SOMEWHERE.  They  Say,  it  is  the  regular 
course  of  nature  :  I  say,  it  is  a  mighty  miracle  !  And  I  have 
said.  There  's  a  tremendous  centre  of  motion  somewhere, 
but  wh^re  is  it  ?  There  I  stopped  ;  there  I  have  stopped ;  and 
in  all  that  I  have  read  about  the  tides  of  the  sea,  I  cannot 
understand  it.  I  cannot  understand  why  you  have  two  miles  of 
tide,  —  one  mile,  two  miles,  three  miles  of  tide,  —  on  the  shores 
of  England,  in  Naples  six  inches,  and  so  on :  why,  I  answer,  I 
cannot  tell ;  it  's  mystery  all!  And  there  's  as  great  a  mystery 
about  the  tides  of  the  ocean,  as  some  of  the  infidels  talk  about 
the  mysteries  of  Christianity.  But  when  I  watched  the  tide, 
and  said,  How  's  this  ?  I  dared  not  drown  myself,  like  Aristotle, 
7 


74  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

because  I  could  not  tell  the  mystery  of  the  tides.  God  keep 
the  poor  infidel  who  will  send  his  soul  to  hell  because  he  can- 
not understand  the  mysteries  of  creation  ! 

I  have  stood  in  a  population  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
souls,  and  I  have  seen  a  mighty  mass  of  men  going  down,  in 
one  dark,  black  current,  to  the  cataract  of  hell;  and,  glory  be 
TO  God  !  I  have  stood  beside  the  banks  of  that  river,  and  have 
seen  the  tide  parted  backward,  and  running  backward,  contrary 
to  the  course  of  nature,  by  a  power  !  and  have  cried  out.  My 
God,  who  hath  turned  these  towards  heaven  ?  and  I  have  not 
been  at  a  loss  on  that  point.  If  I  cannot  explain  the  tide,  I  do 
know  what  caused  that  mind-motion.  That  motion  of  mind 
comes  from  heaven.  And  there  was  a  power  here  last  night, 
bless  God!  to  turn  the  whole  sinners  of  Nottingham  in  a 
moment !  and  where  is  that  centre  of  power  ?  It  pleased  the 
Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell. 

All  fulness  in  Christ!  I  have  sometimes  thought,  the 
apostle  St.  Paul  took  the  sun,  the  solar  system,  and  made  it  a 
sort  of  a  type  of  the  Gospel;  that,  as  the  sun  is  the  centre  of 
the  solar  system,  and  as  all  the  other  systems  are  directed  by 
this  sun,  and  by  the  same  powerful  attraction  kept  in  their  orbs, 
so  St.  Paul  places  Jesus  Christ  as  the  great  centre  and  sun  of 
all  the  doctrines  and  ordinances  of  Christianity ;  and  he  places 
him  in  the  centre,  and  all  the  doctrines  revolve  around  him. 
He  's  the  centre  of  all  that  is  in  Christianity.  And  let  every 
person  read  this  chapter  over,  and  you  will  see  how  beautifully 
he  represents  Christ.  Hear  how  he  goes  on.  "  Giving  thanks 
unto  the  Father,  which  hath  made  us  meet  to  be  partakers  of 
the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light;  who  hath  delivered  us 
from  the  power  of  darkness,  and  hath  translated  us  into  the 
kingdom  of  his  dear  son."  So,  his  dear  son  's  got  a  kingdom! 
and,  therefore,  is  a  king :  and  that  is  the  first  step,  the  kingly 
authority  of  Jesus  Christ,  — "  In  whom  we  have  redemption 
through  his  blood,  even  the  forgiveness  of  sins."  •'  Through  his 
blood ! "  Unitarian  !  stop  there  !  "  Forgiveness  of  sins 
through  his  blood  ! "  Some  persons  talk  about  the  atonement, 
and  about  merit ;  well,  well,  v/ell,  well,  well,  we  are  not  going 


THK    FULNESS    DWELLING    IN    JESUS    CHKIST.  75 

to  quarrel  about  merit;  but  is  not  this  merit? —  "In  whom  we 
have  redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins." 
Do  as  you  like ;  discard  merit,  if  you  like ;  there  is  forgiveness 
through  blood,  make  what  you  will  of  it.  That  is  one  step; 
what  's  the  next  ?  "  Who  is  the,  hnage  of  the  invisible  God, 
the  first  born  of  every  creature."  You  will  find  out  what  he 
made  Christ,  before  you  have  done  with  it.  "  For  by  him  were 
all  things  created  that  are  in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth, 
visible  and  invisible."  What!  is  Christ  the  creator  of  the  world? 
Yes,  he  is.  "  All  things,  whether  they  be  thrones,  or  dominions, 
or  principalities,  or  powers, — all  things  were  created  by  him." 
"  Ah !  but,''  says  one,  "  he  had  a  delegated  power."      0,  no  ; 

"  ALL  THINGS  WERE    CREATED  BY  HIM  AND  FOR  HIM."       They  WOrC 

made  for  him.  He  made  them,  and  they  were  his  own.  "  And 
he  is  before  all  things,  and  by  him  all  things  consist.  And  he 
is  the  head  of  the  body,  —  the  church  :  who  is  the  beginning ; 
the  first  born  from  the  dead ;  that  in  all  things  he  might  have 
the  preeminence.  ^^  For  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should 
all  fulness  dwell.'" 

There  is  a  fulness  in  Christ  in  many  w^ays,  but  I  shall 
promise  no  more  than  one  at  a  time ;  then  I  can  stop  when  I 
think  you  are  tired,  or  when  it  is  proper  to  stop.  Lift  up  your 
hearts  in  prayer. 

There  is  a  fulness  in  Christ, —  my  text  says  it,  —  of  light,  of 
mercy,  of  power,  of  grace,  of  everything  the  soul  of  man  needs ; 
fulness  of  benevolence,  of  merit,  of  intercession  :  for  it  is  said, 
"  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us; "  and,  "  there  is  one 
mediator  between  God  and  man,  —  Christ  Jesus."  Therefore, 
in  Christ  all  fulness  dwells. 

The  first  thing  I  want  to  touch  upon  is  this  :  that  unless  a 
measure  of  that  fulness  —  take  which  point  of  the  fulness  you 
will  —  is  communicated  to  the  sinner,  he  never  can  see  himself 
as  a  sinner.  I  hold  that  to  be  an  unquestionable  proposition, — 
That  if  God  were  to  let  the  sinner  alone,  he  would  no  more 
seek  after  him  than  the  devil.  But,  bless  God  !  there  is  an 
intercessor;  there  is  a  Christ;  and  as  long  as  that  Christ  is 
alive  and  in  glory  —  the  friend  of  the  human  race  —  he  '11  not 


76  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

let  a  man  or  a  woman  of  you  alone ;  and  while  there  's  an 
agitation  in  heaven,  there  '11  be  an  agitation  on  earth.  God 
will  not  let  the  sinner  alone.  God  begins  very  young  with  sin- 
ners ;  and  yet  I  have  seen  a  case,  in  the  course  of  my  travels, 
that  rather  staggered  me.  I  happened  to  be  pursuing  my  travels 
on  horseback ;  I  was  riding  along  a  road  through  large  moun- 
tains, when  I  saw  a  horse  galloping  after  me,  with  a  little  boy 
on  it,  with  a  red  night-cap  on,  riding  as  fast  as  he  was  able. 
He  pulled  up  his  horse.  "  Well,"  I  said,  "  my  lad,  who  made 
this  heaven,  up  yonder?" 

"  I  don't  know,  sir,"  said  he. 

"Well,  now,  look  at  that  mountain,  yonder  (it  was  called 
the  camel's  rump),  tipped  with  a  cloud,  up  yonder;  who  made 
that?" 

He  said,  "  Indeed,  I  don't  know,  sir." 

Said  I,  "  My  lad,  do  you  ever  go  to  any  place  of  public  wor- 
ship ? " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Where  they  read,  and  where  they  pray  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  don't  you  hear  a  man  sometimes  speaking  and  talk- 
ing?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Well,  and  who  is  he  talking  to,  with  his  eyes  shut  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  I  don't  know." 

"  My  dear,"  said  I,  "  he  was  talking  to  the  Almighty,  the 
maker  of  heaven  and  earth, —  that  God  that  piled  up  the  moun- 
tain :  that  is  the  God  he  was  talking  to,  my  lad."  The  little 
fellow  seemed  to  be  affected.  Said  I,  "  Lad,  how  old  are  you  ?  " 
"  Ten  years,"  he  answered.  He  told  me  his  father  was  dead, 
and  his  mother  alive  ;  and  it  appeared  that  into  that  little  crea- 
ture's mind,  at  ten  years  of  age,  the  idea  of  the  existence  of  God 
had  never  entered.  I  hold  this  to  be  an  extraordinary  case. 
Bless  God  for  Sabbath-schools !  There  are  some  lads  know 
more  about  scripture  at  ten  years  of  age  than  some  gray-headed 
sinners  at  sixty.  But  one  great  principle  will  hold  out  univer- 
sally,— that  no  man  can  ever  get  into  hell-fire  with  his  eyes  shut. 


THE    FULNESS    DWELLING    IN    JESUS    CHRIST.  77 

The  Lord  will  make  him  feel  and  understand  before  he  goes 
to  the  bar  of  God ;  for  it  pleased  the  Father  that  all  fulness  of 
light,  and  conviction,  and  awakening  powers,  should  dwell  in 
Christ. 

That  is  the  first  thing  :  the  second  thing  our  text  suggests  is, 
that,  as  all  fulness  dwells  in  Christ,  no  sinner  can  ever  come 
to  the  true  point  of  salvation,  unless  it  be  through  Christ,  who 
pleads  for  him  in  the  heavens.  The  true  point  of  faith,  whereby 
God  justifies  the  sinner,  is  the  last  thing  the  sinner  will  come  to 
before  he  's  converted.  As  far  as  I  have  seen  or  read  about  it, 
it  is  the  last  thing  the  sinner  will  do  to  come  to  Christ  for 
mercy  through  simple  faith  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Nothing 
is  more  common  than  that  a  sinner,  when  awakened,  will  leave 
off  Sabbath-breaking,  come  to  the  house  of  God,  and  try  every 
method  to  get  salvation,  except  the  true  method.  And,  after 
every  method  is  tried, 

'•  Should  sudden  vengeance  seize  my  breath, 
I  must  pronounce  thee  just  in  death  ; 
And  if  my  soul  is  sent  to  hell, 
Thy  righteous  law  approves  it  well." 

And  he  will  do  everything  before  he  comes,  as  a  wretched, 
guilty,  hell-deserving  sinner,  to  rest  upon  the  merits  of  Christ's 
blood.  After  he  has  done  all  that,  we  have  seen  such  sinners 
coming,  with  their  faces  pale,  and  the  flesh  worn  from  their 
bones ;  and  many  a  trembling  lip  have  I  seen.  Well,  they  have 
come  and  said,  "  Sir,  it 's  no  use;  if  ever  a  man  has  sought  God 
for  mercy  sincerely,  I  have ;  it 's  no  use ;  I  have  tried  every 
way  to  find  mercy,  and  God  has  some  exceptions  against  me." 
I  have  assured  such  persons,  over  and  over  again,  it 's  no  use ; 
I  see  there  's  a  legality  in  your  nature,  and  it  will  be  the  very 
best  thing  you  will  do  to  get  rid  of  it.  You  want  to  bring  some- 
thing with  you.  And  there  's  nothing  more  common  than  for  a 
man  to  come,  and  offer  up  his  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  to  God  : 
and  he  says,  «'  I  have  abandoned  my  sins ;  and,  all  I  can  say  is, 
I  have  promised  to  be  thy  servant  forever." 

"  Well,"  says  one,  "  can  he  do  any  more  ?     He  believes  that 
7* 


78  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Christ  died  for  him ;  can  he  do  more  ? "  I  answer,  he  might  seek 
religion  till  his  head 's  gray,  and  not  find  mercy. 

"  What,"  says  one,  "  if  he  trusts  in  the  merits  of  Christ  ? " 
Part  of  it  is  right,  and  part  of  it  is  wrong.  The  true  faith  is 
there,  but  it  is  tainted.  Don't  you  see,  the  man  is  making  a 
bargain  with  God?  He  is  bringing  his  good  life,  and  putting 
this  in  as  a  plea;  putting  that  into  the  balance,  and  then  puts 
the  merits  of  Christ  in  to  make  up  the  weight.  It 's  a  bargain 
with  God,  and  God  will  push  him  away.  "  But,"  says  one, 
"  why  ?  "  I  answer,  he  owes  his  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  to  God 
already :  he  can  offer  to  God  but  what  belongs  to  Him  :  there 's 
no  salvation  in  that.  "But,"  says  another,  "what  is  to  be 
done?" 

I  will  show  you.  At  length, —  and  it 's  the  last  thing  he  's  ever 
willing  to  do,  —  the  spirit  of  God 's  at  work  with  the  man,  and  is 
cutting  off  tie  after  tie  that  binds  him  to  the  old  Adam :  —  it 's 
the  last  thing  he  '11  do,  to  come  as  a  bankrupt.  Self-righteous- 
ness sits  as  close  to  his  soul  as  the  skin  to  his  bones ;  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  has  to  flay  him,  as  it  were,  —  to  strip  off  this  self- 
righteousness  ;  and  at  last  he  is  stripped  before  the  living  God  ; 
and  he  comes,  a  poor,  naked,  trembling  sinner,  and  he  says, 
"  God  Almighty !  I  have  nothing  to  offer ;  I  offer  my  body,  soul, 
and  spirit,  but  they  are  thine  already ;  have  mercy  upon  me 
through  Christ's  blood  alone :  I  trust  myself  upon  the  blood  of 
Jesus."  And  the  angels  say,  "  He  'll  live  !  "  And  Christ  says, 
"  Let  him  live  !  Behold  my  hands  and  side.  Behold  the 
pleading  sinner's  plea  !  "  And  every  attribute  of  God  Almighty 
says,  "  He  must  live  !  "  and  at  last  God  says  to  the  pleading, 
trusting  sinner,  "  Live  !  live  !  "  And  the  Holy  Ghost  says, 
"  Live  !  "  His  chains  fly  off;  his  soul  is  free ;  he  rises  up,  and 
triumphs,  and  glorifies  his  pardoning  God.  This  is  salvation  by 
faith.  It  is  the  very  last  thing  a  sinner  will  do  ;  and  this  is  the 
main  reason  why  many  persons  are  deceived  regarding  their 
conversion. 

Keep  lifting  up  your  hearts  to  God.  Take  care,  friend,  you 
are  not  deceived  there.  You  have  offered  all  up ;  but  I  fear 
you  will  never  go  as  a  guilty,  condemned  sinner,  trusting  in 


THE    FULNESS    DWELLING    L\    JESUS    CHRIST.  79 

Christ  as  your  only  plea ;  and  I  believe  that,  were  it  not  for 
the  intercession  of  Christ,  I  should  have  stopped  short,  and  you 
would  have  stopped  short,  and  every  other  man.  I  was  in  the 
town  some  time  ago,  and  there  was  a  great  report  went  about 
of  our  doings  ;  and  there  was  a  very  wicked  farmer  denied  the 
existence  of  a  hell :  he  was  the  next  door  to  an  atheist ;  and  his 
conduct  was  just  according  to  his  principles  :  he  was  many  a 
time  drunk  ;  he  was  a  respectable  farmer,  though,  a  man  of  good 
property,  and  had  a  family.  Well,  he  came  to  see  the  goings 
on  in  the  chapel ;  he  got  a  sitting  down  in  the  middle  of  the 
chapel,  and  in  the  sermon  God  struck  him ;  but  he  would  not 
come  forward  to  be  prayed  for.  After  the  service,  I  went  with 
a  minister  home,  and  we  were  up  in  his  library',  and  we  heard 
an  uproar  out  of  doors, —  such  an  uproar!  —  and  then  we  heard 
steps  coming  up,  indicating  a  heavy  heart,  or  an  aged  man  :  — 
it  was  the  farmer.  He  came  in,  and  looked  like  desolation. 
Said  he,  "  Sirs,  I  am  undone."  "  No,"  said  I,  "  you  are  not 
undone  ;  there  's  mercy  for  you." 

"  O,  what  a  sinner  I  am  !  "  he  said,  and  do\\Ti  he  came  upon  a 
heap  in  the  floor,  and  cried  for  mercy.  We  kept  pleading  with 
God  for  a  long  while,  till  at  last,  about  twelve  o'clock,  I  said, 
"  I  am  fairly  worn  out,"  and  the  minister  said,  "  I  cannot  stand 
it  any  longer."  We  spoke  to  the  man,  and  told  him  so ;  and  he 
got  up,  and  got  his  hat.  There  was  another  member  of  his  fam- 
ily with  him,  and  he  took  him  by  the  hand  ;  and  if  he  had  been 
going  to  the  gallows,  he  could  not  have  looked  more  desolate. 
"Farewell,"  he  said,  "farewell  I  " — as  if  he  thought  he  would 
be  in  hell  before  the  next  morning.  Really,  I  could  not  stand  it. 
We  went  down  to  prayer  again ;  but  it  was  of  no  use,  and  he 
went  away.  At  last  I  saw  him  in  chapel,  a  few  nights  after. 
There  was  such  a  smile, —  a  heaven,  upon  the  man's  counte- 
nance !     I  went  up  to  him,  and  said  I,  "  How  are  you  ? " 

"  Ah,  sir,  I  am  happy  !  But  sir,  Mr.  Caughey,"  said  he, 
"  the  devil  nearly  cheated  me,  after  all." 

"  How,  sir  ? " 

"I  will  tell  you,"  he  replied.  "When  I  went  home,  I  cried 
for  mercy,  and  went  to  bed,  and  got  up  in  the  morning.    I  felt 


80  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

comfortable  in  the  morning;  something  was  telling  me,  'You 
are  converted.'  Then  something  said,  'No,  you  are  not  con- 
verted already  ;'  and  I  did  not  know  which  to  believe.  But  one 
of  my  neighbors  came  in,  and  I  asked  him  what  he  thought  of 
my  state.  He  sat  down  to  read  the  Bible  to  me.  Well,  I  let 
him  read.  I  waited  till  he  closed  reading,  and  then  I  went  into 
my  barn,  and  made  up  my  mind  I  would  have  this  voice  set- 
tled. One  voice  said,  '  You  have  done ;'  and  something  said, 
'You  have  not  done.'  I  pleaded  for  salvation,  and,  in  pleading 
with  God,  he  set  my  soul  at  liberty,  and  I  made  my  barn  ring 
again.  Bless  God,  I  got  saved !  but  the  devil  nearly  cheated 
me."  Take  care,  friends,  or  the  devil  will  get  you  into  hell-fire 
yet.  Examine  the  workings  of  your  soul.  For  Christ  pleads 
for  you.  For  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness 
dimU. 

The  next  thing  our  text  suggests  is,  that  unless  believers  get 
fully  united  to  Christ,  as  the  branch  becomes  united  to  the  vine, 
they  must  wither,  and  droop,  and  die.  There  can  be  no  life 
without  Christ,  —  no  vigorous  profession  without  him.  If  you 
are  growing  upon  the  old  stock  Adam,  and  are  not  engrafted 
into  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  your  profession,  though  made  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  not  the  profession  of  the  Gospel.  It 
pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell, —  that, 
unless  believers  are  united  to  Christ,  they  cannot  be  true  Chris- 
tians ;  and  if  they  get  out  of  Christ,  they  wither,  they  droop, 
they  die.  Now,  I  do  not  know  how  you  settle  that  matter  in 
this  country.  Says  one,  "  What  matter  ? "  The  matter  of  the 
possibility  of  falling  from  Christ,  and  getting  into  hell.  I  do 
not  intend  to  say  much  about  it  now;  I  leave  parties  to  their 
own  controversial  work.  But  I  will  tell  you  how  we  do  in 
North  America ;  and  I  believe  there  is  very  little  prejudice  in 
Nottingham  against  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  But  then 
Jesus  Christ  is  a  Saviour  who  died  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world ;  and  there  is  a  spirit  of  liberality  about  religious  principles 
wherever  they  have  been  received.  We  do  it  in  this  way.  Is 
it  possible  to  be  in  Christ,  and  to  get  out  of  him,  and  perish  in 
hell  ?    Some  say  No,  some  say  Yes ;  —  we  settle  it  in  this  way. 


THE    FULNESS    DWELLING    L\    JESUS    CHKIST.  SI 

We  just  turn  to  the  following  chapter,  and  read, —  "  I  am  the  true 
vine,  and  my  father  is  the  husbandman.  Every  branch  in  me 
that  beareth  not  fruit,  he  taketh  away;  and  every  branch  that 
beareth  fruit,  he  purgeth  it,  that  it  may  bring  forth  more  fruit. 
Now,  ye  are  clean  through  the  word  which  I  have  spoken  unto 
you.  Abide  in  me,  and  I  in  you.  As  the  branch  cannot  bear 
fruit  in  itself,  except  it  abide  in  the  vine  ;  no  more  can  ye,  except 
ye  abide  in  me :  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches.  He  that 
abideth  in  me  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit; 
for  without  me  ye  can  do  nothing.  If  a  man  abide  not  in  me, 
he  is  cast  forth  as  a  branch,  and  is  withered ;  and  men  gather 
them,  and  cast  them  into  the  fire,  and  they  are  burned."  Now, 
is  there  a  gardener  here  ?  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  there  is  one.  I 
ask  that  gardener  to  decide  this :  may  a  branch  be  "  cast  forth 
and  cut  off,"  and  be  engrafted  again  ?  "  Yes."  If  it  "  wither  " 
a  little,  may  it  be  engrafted  and  live  ?  "  Yes."  "  And  men 
gather  the  branches ;  "  and  after  they  are  grafted,  may  they  not 
be  grafted  in  again?  "Yes."  "And  cast  them  into  the  fire 
and  they  are  burned ;  "  and  can  they  then  be  grafted  in  again  ? 
"  No,"  says  a  gardener,  "  we  cannot  engraft  them  then."  Now, 
if  that  means  anything,  it  means  that  ye  may  get  cut  off,  bound 
up  with  sinners,  and  burned  in  hell-fire ;  and  if  it  don't  mean 
that,  I  protest  to  you  I  do  not  know  what  it  means.  We  must 
abide  in  Christ.  God  help  you;  but  trust  in  Christ;  for  it 
pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell. 

I  believe  it  is  one  thing  to  be  engrafted  into  Christ :  for  if 
ever  you  are  in  Christ,  you  are  engrafted  ;  if  you  are  not 
engrafted,  you  belonged  to  the  old  stock  Adam  ;  I  did,  you  did, 
we  all  did.  We  are  engrafted  into  Christ  and  have  a  new 
nature.  And  hence,  says  the  apostle,  "If  any  man  be  in 
Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature."  And  that  is  what  Christ  says ; 
"  Be  abiding  in  me,  for  I  am  the  vine  and  ye  are  the  branches." 
Now,  there  's  a  very  great  difference  between  the  faith  of  engraft- 
ing and  the  faith  of  adhering.  "  But,"  says  one,  "  I  hope  you 
will  not  make  any  distinctions  in  theology,  for  we  have  plenty." 
No ;  I  am  the  last  man  to  do  so.  "  Well,"  says  another,  "  what 
do  you  mean  ?  "     I  answer,  there  are  two  classes  of  people  in 


82  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Protestantism;  the  one  class  have  the  engrafting  faith;  and 
there  's  another  class  that  twines  about  Christ ;  they  adhere  to 
him,  but  they  have  never  been  united  to  him,  to  get , succor  or 
strength  out  of  him.  I  will  illustrate  this.  Do  you  see  yon 
trees  ?  It  is  a  wood.  It  is  July.  We  take  a  walk  there.  By 
and  by  w^e  come  to  a  very  lofty  oak ;  and  look  upon  the  oak,  and 
you  say.  Dear  me !  that  oak 's  very  thick ;  it 's  an  unusually 
thick  oak  !  Do  you  see  what  foliage  it  has  on  ?  you  would  say 
to  your  friend.  He  would  reply,  "  That  thickness  is  not  of  oak- 
leaves."  Ah  !  that 's  it.  What 's  that  twisting  about  the  trunk 
of  the  oak  ?  It 's  one  of  those  vines  —  what  do  you  call  them  ? 
—  ivies,  —  vines ;  —  and  they  begin  to  twist.  Now,  then,  begin 
the  twist,  and  up  w^ith  you,  and  by  and  by  you  will  see  that  ivy 
at  the  top.  Pluck  off  one  of  the  branches  of  the  ivy,  and  then 
one  of  the  oak ;  —  and  go  to  any  of  our  American  farmers,  and 
say,  "  Well,  what 's  that  ? "  "  Oak."  "  I  don't  care  where  it 
grew,  oak 's  oak  all  the  world  over."  "  And  what 's  that  ?  " 
"  Ivy."  "Well,  but  they  both  grew  on  the  same  tree  !  I  de- 
clare that  I  (with  my  own  hands)  climbed  up  the  tree  and  plucked 
them  both  from  the  top  branches."  "  Well,  I  don't  care  what 
you  say ;  it  is  not  an  oak,  you  cannot  make  it  an  oak. ;  you  may 
go  where  you  like  with  it."  Now,  I  tell  you  that  there  's  a 
fair  example  between  a  formalist  and  a  true  Christian.  There 
are  some  persons  that  grow  on  their  old  roots  ;  and  seem  to  twine 
about  Christ,  and  twine  about  him;  but,  like  that  ivy,  if  you 
untwist  it,  —  if  you  can,  but  it 's  a  difficult  thing,  —  untwist,  un- 
twist, untwist,  and  get  to  the  bottom,  — you  see,  it  grows  on  its  old 
roots ;  it 's  merely  borne  up.  So  there  are  professors  of  religion 
who  grow  on  their  old  roots,  but  they  will  twist  about  God,  and 
twist  about,  and  twist  about  him,  — May  God  waken  you  !  —  It  is 
with  many  persons  just  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  old ;  like  the 
seven  women  that  took  hold  of  one  man,  and  said,  "  Let  us 
drink  our  own  water,  and  eat  our  own  bread,  and  be  called  by 
thy  name."  I  would  be  the  last  man  that  would  hurt  a  tender 
conscience,  or  perplex  a  sincere  man.  Says  one,  "Well,  you 
are  in  very  great  danger,  for  that  is  a  point  will  perplex  them." 
May  God  bless  them!  But  I  am  not  afraid  of  hurting  them. 
They  will  stand,  if  they  are  in  Christ. 


THE    FULNESS    DWELLING   IN   JESUS    CHRIST.  83 

Go  into  the  woods  and  take  hold  of  a  tree,  and  give  it  a  good 
shake ;  —  by  the  by,  take  care  of  your  head,  for  the  rotten 
branches  will  fall  on  you.  But  the  sound  branches  will  not 
fall.  And  when  a  man  has  taken  hold  on  Christ,  he  can  go 
through  a  shake,  and  not  all  the  winds  of  earth  and  hell  can 
prevail  against  him.  God  Almighty !  take  away  the  rotten 
branches,  and  graft  them  in. 

O  friend  !  O  friend !  O  friend !  take  care  of  this  busines-s ! 
If  you  are  growing  on  your  own  root,  it  will  be  a  terrible  affair 
for  you.  And  I  tell  you  what,  if  you  are  not  bottomed  in 
Jesus  Christ,  you  will  not  flourish, — you  will  wither.  I  was  out 
one  day  walking,  I  will  not  say  where,  and  I  looked  up  to  a 
tree,  and  I  saw  a  great  many  withered  leaves  :  and  I  said, 
"  Dear  me  !  what 's  the  matter  with  that  tree  ?  "  and  I  looked, 
and  part  of  the  tree  was  green,  and  it  was  beautiful ;  and  I 
looked,  and  there  was  a  vine  twisted  about  it,  and  some  person 
had  come  and  cut  the  vine,  —  cut  it  clean  through;  and  I  said, 
"  That  is  it,  you  are  cut ;  you  will  never  grow  again."  Now,  to 
many  a  sinner  that  is  growing  on  his  own  roots,  twisted  about 
Christ,  God  sends  a  messenger  of  Jesus  with  a  cutting  knife ; 
and  he  begins  to  cut,  and  cuts  away,  and  cuts  that  one  that's 
growing  on  the  roots.  Cut  him,  my  Lord  !  cut  him  !  May  the 
Holy  Ghost  never  give  you  rest  till  you  are  engrafted  in  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  next  thing  our  text  suggests  is  this :  why  has  it  pleased 
the  Father  that  all  fulness  should  dwell  in  him  ?  I  answer, /or 
our  security.  Before  my  arrival  in  this  country,  there  was  a 
great  stagnation,  —  no,  that  is  not  it,  —  there  was  a  great  com- 
motion among  the  private  banking  companies,  and  I  do  not 
know  but  that  some  of  you  have  lost  by  their  breaking ;  and 
some  of  you  have  taken  very  good  care  since  what  sort  of  a 
bank  you  have  put  your  money  in.  Now,  God  lodged  the  whole 
bank  stock  of  man's  salvation  in  one  man's  hands;  and  that 
was  Adam.  You  all  know  that  Adam  became  a  bankrupt ;  and 
it  never  pleased  the  Father  any  more  to  trust  it  in  any  man's 
hand  again.  And  if  he  had,  backslider  !  you  would  have  been 
undone.     You  have  yet  your  portion ;  and,  bless  God,  there 's 


84  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

enough.     He  has  put  the  stock  of  salvation  in  the  bank  that 
never  fails.     That 's  one  reason. 

And  the  next  reason  is,  that  you  may  all  have  a  share  in  that 
bank.  And  all  believers  present  now  have  a  share ;  and  ye 
may  draw  from  the  bank,  and  ye  are  drawing  now ;  and  ye  are 
far  more  happy  than  when  ye  came  into  the  chapel.  And  now 
you  can  help  others,  and  draw  from  the  bank,  if  they  have  not 
anything  in  it.  A  poor  man  comes  to  you,  and  you  have  got  some 
money  in  a  bank.  The  poor  man  says,  "  Dear  sir,  these  are 
very  hard  times,  and  I  am  in  great  difficulty  ;  I  will  give  you 
all  the  security  I  can,  and  I  want  you  to  give  me  a  check  for 
£20."  "Well,"  you  say,  "I  don't  know;  let  me  see.  Have 
you  tried  everywhere  else ? "  "  Yes  sir;  I  come  to  you  as  my 
last  hope."  "  Very  well,"  you  say ;  and  you  write  a  check  on 
the  bank  for  £20.  He  goes  to  the  bank,  and  walks  right  in,  as 
if  he  were  lord  of  all  that  is  in  it.  He  has  a  bad  coat,  or  a  bad 
hat,  —  you  would  not  give  perhaps  a  shilling  for  all  that  he  has 
got ;  but  the  cashier  does  not  look  at  the  man's  coat ;  he  looks 
at  the  check.  The  man  does  not  return  thanks  —  unless  he 
likes;  he  has  got  his  £20.  Bless  God!  you  may  give  the 
poorest  sinner  in  this  chapel  a  check,  if  you  like ;  and  what  is 
the  form  of  it  ?  "  Ask,  and  ye  shall  receive  ;  knock,  and  it  shall 
be  opened  unto  you."  Send  him ;  blessed  be  God,  he  shall  be 
saved  !  For  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  Christ  all  fulness 
should  dwell. 

I  see  my  hour  is  now  nearly  expired ;  but  there  is  —  I  speak 
with  great  solemnity,  and  preach  it  with  solemn  awe — there 
is  in  Christ  v^rhat  is  not  communicable  to  all.  There  is  an  in- 
communicable fulness  in  Jesus  Christ ;  and  that  belongs  to  his 
Godhead ;  for  the  apostle  St.  Paul  says,  "  In  him  dwells  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily."  Says  one,  "  What 's  that  ? " 
I  cannot  tell  you.  It  is  too  deep  for  me.  I  believe  it,  yet  I  can- 
not fathom  it.  What  am  I  ?  I  am  a  creature  of  a  day.  What 
shall  I  be  ?  Soon  I  shall  return  to  dust,  and  my  soul  into  eter- 
nity. And  what  am  I,  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  counsels  of 
heaven,  —  a  creature  of  a  day,  to  stand  and  presume  to  fathom 
what  is  the  mind  of  the  great  God  !     I  speak  with  awe.     My 


THE    FULNESS     DWELLING    IN    JESUS    CHRIST.  85 

business  is  to  believe  the  book.  "  But,"  says  one,  "  the 
divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  is  unreasonable."  I  answer,  that  it  is 
more  unreasonable  to  reject  than  to  believe  it.  "  But  how  can 
you  prove  it  ? "  I  take  it  as  the  most  reasonable  thing  to  be- 
lieve the  revelations  of  my  God.  Nay,  sir,  I  should  doubt  the 
revelation,  if  I  could  fathom  it.  But  I  confess  to  this  congrega- 
tion that  there  's  a  mystery  about  the  two  natures.  I  confess  it, 
even  in  the  hearing  of  the  Unitarian,  that  it  is  beyond  my  power 
of  reason  fully  to  comprehend ;  though  I  do  confess  with  my 
whole  soul,  I  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  was  God  as  well  as  man. 
I  confess  to  this  congregation,  I  cannot  comprehend  it  with  my 
reason,  when  I  read,  "  Unto  us  a  child  is  born;  unto  us  a  son  is 
given  ;  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulder,  and  his 
name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God, 
the  Everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace."  Now,  how  a 
little  child  can  be  the  Mighty  God,  and  the  Everlasting  Father, 
I  confess  is  beyond  the  power  of  my  reason ;  but  I  feel  it  so 
reasonable  to  bow  down  my  poor  ignorant  head,  and  believe  this 
book, — I  confess  I  cannot  fathom.  There  is  the  first  chapter  of 
John's  gospel :  "  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word 
was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  The  same  was  in  the 
beginning  with  God.  All  things  were  made  by  him ;  and 
without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made,"  &c.  I 
cannot  fathom  it.  "  You  believe  it  ?  "  says  one.  Ah  !  I  do 
believe  it  with  my  whole  heart;  but  I  cannot  understand  how  in 
the  beginning  the  Word  was  God,  and  how  he  was  made  flesh 
and  dwelt  among  us.  And  again,  I  cannot  fathom  this,  I  con- 
fess it,  though  I  believe  it :  —  "  Great  is  the  mystery  of  Godli- 
ness, God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  seen  of  angels." 

And  again,  it  is  said,  "  And  when  he  brought  his  first-begot- 
ten into  the  world,  he  said.  Let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship 
him.  But  unto  the  Son  he  saith.  Thy  throne,  oh  God,  is  for 
ever  and  ever ;  a  sceptre  of  righteousness  is  the  sceptre  of  thy 
kingdom."  I  cannot  fathom  how  it  is  that  there  is  one  being 
in  heaven  united  with  the  eternal  God,  that  receives  the  adora- 
tion and  worship  of  all  hosts  of  heaven ;  and  that  the  Lamb  that 
was  slain  is  this  being.  But  if  I  cannot  comprehend  it,  I  do  feel 
8 


86  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

that  I  can  bow  my  head  to  it;  and  if  I  cannot  feel  how  it  is  that 
Jesus   Christ  should  say,  "  Go  ye  out  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  gospel,  and  baptize  them,"  —  that  is,  consecrate  them, 
"  body,  soul  and  spirit,"  —  well,  any  more  ?     Yes,  —  "  baptize 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,"  —  stop  there  ?  No,  "  and  in  the 
name  of  the  Son,"  —  so  there  are  two  persons,  —  "and  in  the 
name  of  the   Holy  Ghost."     What !    consecrate  them  to   the 
service  of  all  three  ?     Why  not  a  million,  if  Jesus  Christ  is  a 
mere  creature  ?  —  for  a  million  is  as  far  from  infinity  as  one. 
Why  not  to  the  seven  spirits  and  the  twenty-four  elders  ?   I  con- 
fess to  you  it  is  too  deep.     I  bow  my  head  and  say,  I  was  con- 
secrated in  my  infancy  to  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  by 
the  authority  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  I  must  worship  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  the  same  in  substance,  equal  in  power  and 
glory.     "But,"  says  one,  "you  cannot  understand  it."     Be  it 
so.     I  bow  my  head  to  the  dictates  of  eternal  truth.      I  cannot 
understand  why  it  is  that  the  apostle  should  say,  "  The  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the-  love  of  God  our  Father,  and  the 
fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you;"  and  why  these 
three  persons'  names  should  be  pronounced  equal  in  power  and 
glory.     I  do  not  know  why  he  did  not  say,  "  The  grace  of  St. 
Paul,  St.  James,  St.  Luke,"  and  of  the  whole  calendar  of  prim- 
itive saints.     No,  but  there  are  three.     And  why  three?    Why 
the  three  mentioned  in  this  order,  —  the  Father  first,  the  Son  sec- 
ond, and  the  Holy  Ghost  next,  —  when  pronouncing  a  blessing 
upon  a  departing  congregation  by  the  authority  of  the  apostle? 
I  say  I  cannot  fathom  it  in  any  other  way  than  that  they  are 
the  same,  equal  in  power  and  glory,  demanding  like  homage. 
Now,  while  there  is  mystery  in  all  these  matters,  and  while  I 
confess  to  you  and  make  apology,  and  while  I  feel  it  is  rational 
to  take  the  Scriptures  as  they  are,  and  say,  with  Thomas,  "  My 
Lord,  and  my  God  ! "  it  is  reasonable  to  believe  the  book  of  the 
living  God.     But  why  there  is  a  mystery  about  the  divinity  of 
Christ   united   with    his   manhood,  and  why  he    says,  "  The 
Father  is  greater  than  I,"  and  then  again,  "  I  and  my  Father 
are  one,"  —  there's  a  mystery  now!    and   I  confess    to  this 
congregation  I  have  never  been   able  to  satisfy  myself  on  this 


THE   FULNESS    DWELLING   IN    JESUS    CHRIST.  87 

mystery,  unless  that  when  he  said,  "  The  Father  is  greater  than 
I,"  he  meant  his  manhood ;  and  when  "  I  and  my  Father  are 
one,"  he  meant  his  Godhead.  And  again  he  says,  "  That  all 
men  should  honor  the  Son,  even  as  they  honor  the  Father."  And 
if  Jesus  Christ  did  not  claim  divine  honors,  it  is  the  most  sus- 
picious point  in  all  his  character.  And  if  Jesus  Christ  did  not 
claim  equal  honors,  it  is  the  most  suspicious  word  ever  passed 
the  lips  of  God.  O,  believe  that  he  was  honest !  but  that  is  too 
low  a  word :  —  all  things  prove  him  to  have  been  all  purity  and 
devoutness,  and  immaculate;  and  therefore  I  cannot  conceive 
any  other  interpretation  than  this  :  that  he  claimed  equality  in 
the  Godhead.  And  what  could  be  the  meaning  of  the  apostle 
when  he  saith, —  O I  it  is  very  strong  language,  —  "  Who,  though 
he  w^as  in  the  form  of  man,  thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal 
with  God  "  ? 

What 's  that  ?  Thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God ! 
That  a  mere  creature  dare  lay  claim  to  be  equal  with  God  ? 
After  all,  still  there  are  difficulties.  For  when  I  take  up  the 
character  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  see  his  manhood,  and  I  see  him  weak 
and  feeble,  and  hungry  and  weeping,  in  various  circumstances ; 
just  like  the  sun  that  sometimes  rises  in  the  sky,  very  much 
clouded  as  he  rises,  and  by  and  by,  towards  eleven  o'clock,  your 
English  sun  is  in  brilliance'  and  splendor.  It  is  so  with  the 
divinity  of  Christ.  For  instance,  yonder 's  a  manger  and  a  stable, 
and  in  that  manger  lies  a  little  one,  —  a  helpless  babe,  surrounded 
by  the  beasts  of  the  stall.  That 's  Jesus  Christ  in  his  humanity. 
And  look,  yonder,  yonder,  yonder !  What 's  that  ?  Why,  the 
w^hole  plain  of  Bethlehem  is  illuminated,  and  there  's  a  cry  to 
the  trembling  shepherds,  —  a  cry  of  peace:  —  "Fear  not,  for 
unto  you  a  child  is  born  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Saviour,  which 
is  Christ  the  Lord."  And  all  the  heavens  are  illuminated,  as 
they  go  up  into  heaven,  crying,  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest ! 
That  is  Jesus  Christ  in  his  divinity." 

See,  yonder 's  a  certain  town,  —  it  lies  in  the  heart  of  Palestine. 
Yonder  —  yonder  a  man  stands  surrounded  by  a  few  men;  and 
there  's  one  in  the  midst,  —  look  at  him !  "  Come,"  says  he ;  and 
he  leads  them  along, —  he 's  in  the  midst  of  them.     That 's  Jesus 


88  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Christ  in  his  humanity.  And  by  and  by  he  cries  out,  "  Pause  ! " 
They  pause.  He  stands  by  the  side  of  the  cofRn  that  is  borne 
by  several  men ;  and  the  mother,  weeping,  is  close  by  the  coffin, 
for  her  only  son  lies  there  a  stiff  corpse.  There  is  Jesus  Christ; 
there's  the  dead  body;  and  Jesus  Christ  utters  the  command  — 
"  Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee,  arise  !  "  There  v^as  a  shaking 
in  the  coffin  ;  he  springs  up  in  the  coffin,  and  the  next  moment 
he 's  out  of  it,  clasping  his  weeping  mother ;  and  the  whole  fune- 
ral stands  aghast,  and  cries,  "  He  's  risen  from  the  dead !  "  I  own 
a  mighty  power  there,  beyond  all  that 's  mortal,  and  bow  my 
head,  and  own  a  present  God. 

Yonder 's  a  mountain;  and  on  that  mountain  there  's  a  being 
kneeling  in  prayer.  And  it  is  the  midnight  hour.  And  he 's 
praying,  and  lifting  up  his  hands  to  heaven,  and  in  the  mid- 
night hour  communing  with  the  powers  above.  Who's  that? 
It 's  Jesus  Christ.  He  's  kneeling  in  prayer.  Now,  yonder  he 
goes  —  watch  him !  There !  he 's  close  to  the  water,  and  he  looks 
like  a  man.  See  yonder  —  in  the  midst  of  the  lake  —  there 's  a 
little  vessel ;  and  the  rowers  are  toiling  away  and  they  cannot 
make  an  inch,  and  are  pulling  hard  for  life  —  poor  fellows! 
Who  in  the  world  are  they  ?  They're  his  own  disciples.  And 
what  can  he  do  ?  Who  can  help  them  ?  The  mighty  God  can 
HELP  them!  Their  Master's  on  the  shore,  and  he  looks 
through  the  night,  and  sees  them  in  their  terror.  Mark !  the 
first  mad  wave  that  rolls  in,  he  put  his  foot  on  it,  and  it  bears 
him :  and  he  steps  right  out  from  one  crested  wave  to  another, 
in  solemn  majesty,  till  he  comes  in  a  parallel  line  with  the 
laboring  vessel.  And  the  seamen  see  one  like  the  Son  of  Man 
walking  on  the  sea,  and  they  cry  out,  "  It  is  a  spirit  !  "  and  over 
the  billows,  and  along  upon  the  wind  he  comes ;  and  then  there  is 
a  voice  coming  to  them  :  "  Be  7iot  afraid  ;  it  is  I !  "  They  lie 
upon  their  oars,  and  the  vessel  labors ;  and  by  and  by  he  steps 
from  one  crested  wave  to  another ;  and  one  lends  him  its  shoulder 
after  another,  and  he  steps  into  the  boat,  and  there  is  a  calm, 
and  all  in  the  vessel  cry  out,  ^^Wkai  does  it  mean?''  I  know 
WHAT  IT  MEANS !  You  have  his  manhood  on  the  mountain : 
but  when  he  begins  to  walk  the  waves  and  hush  the  storm,  my 


THE    FULNESS    DWELLING    IN    JESUS    CHRIST.  89 

soul  bows  to  him.  I  own  the  mighty  God.  I  adore  him  as  not 
only  man,  but  my  God.  Glory  be  to  God  !  For  it  pleased 
the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell. 

Yonder  is  a  company  of  persons  standing  together  in  close 
conversation.  And  in  the  midst  of  them  there  's  one  with  a 
seamless  coat.  And  they 're  in  very  close  conversation.  What 
is  it  they  're  talking  about  ?  One  of  these  is  Jesus,  and  he  says, 
"  Our  friend  Lazarus  sleepeth."  "  O  well !  "  say  the  disciples, 
"  if  he  sleeps,  he  will  do  well."  "  Why,  I  tell  you,  Lazarus  is 
dead !  "  says  Jesus.  "  Well,  then,"  they  say,  "  we  may  as  well 
die  with  him :  "  —  as  much  as  to  say,  we  have  not  another  place 
to  lie  in,  and  our  comforts  are  at  an  end.  "  Well,"  said  Jesus, 
"  I  am  glad  I  was  not  there,  for  your  sakes :  however,  let  us  go 
and  wake  him  out  of  his  sleep."  And  along  they  go.  There 
they  go !  That 's  Christ  in  his  humanity.  And  yonder 's  a 
little  hq^se,  the  home  of  Jesus.  And  a  couple  of  disconsolate 
sisters  are  weeping  as  if  their  hearts  would  break ;  and  the  very 
Jews  are  weeping  —  they  're  all  weeping.  There  a  messenger 
goes  in,  and  says,  "  Mary,  the  Master 's  come ;"  and  Mary  sits 
still.  Why  did  she  not  go  with  the  rest  ?  But  Martha  was  up, 
—  always  a  stirring.  And  away  she  went,  and  met  them  ;  and 
as  soon  as  she  got  to  Christ,  she  fell  down,  and  in  a  storm  of 
emotion,  she  cried  out,  "  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother 
had  not  died !  "  She  tells  Mary,  "  Mary !  the  Master's  coming, 
and  calleth  for  thee."  Mary  got  up,  and  the  Jews  said,  "See, 
see,  see,  she  's  going !  "  Yonder  Jesus  stands  in  the  place,  and 
as  soon  as  Mary  came  up,  her  heart  was  big  with  grief,  and  she 
fell  down  and  poured  her  tears  at  his  feet,  and  said,  "  Lord,  if 
thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had  not  died !  "  Says  he, 
"  Where  have  ye  laid  him?"  and  they  said,  "  Come  and  see;" 
and  the  big  tears  began  to  trickle  down  his  cheeks,  and  the 
Jews  said,  "  Behold,  how  he  loved  him !  "  and  in  these  tears  I 
own  his  manhood.  He  had  feelings,  and  could  feel  the  storm 
of  emotion.  "  Where  have  ye  laid  him  ? "  "  Come  and  see." 
And  as  he  was  going,  Martha  said  to  him,  "  Lord,  by  this  time 
he  is  not  fit  to  be  seen."  "  Martha,"  said  he,  "  your  brother 
shall  rise  again."  "  O  yes  !  I  know  he  '11  rise  again  at  the  resur- 
8^ 


90  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

rection."  Said  he,  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life  :  he  that 
bclieveth  in  me,  though  he  v^ere  dead,  yet  shall  he  live :  and 
whoso  liveth  and  believeth  shall  never  die."  Believest  thou 
this  ?  And  they  went  on  together.  They  go,  till  by  and  by  they 
come  to  the  tomb;  and  they  stood  near  the  tomb,  and  the  Jews 
gathered  about.  Said  he,  "  Eoll  away  the  stone  ;"  and  the  stone 
was  rolled  away :  and  there  lay  Lazarus  in  his  winding  sheet, 
pale  and  stiff  in  death,  for  the  soul  had  been  out  of  the  body 
four  days,  and  there  he  stood.  Now  it  is  Jesus  looks  like  a 
man.  His  face  was  like  a  man;  he  lifts  up  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
and  looks  like  a  man ;  and  the  dead  stirs  not.  But  when  you 
hear  the  voice,. it  is  the  voice  of  eternity  —  "Lazarus,  come 
FORTH  !  "  and  the  dead  began  to  stir ;  and  the  man  springs  on  his 
feet,  and  Jesus  says,  "  Loose  him,  and  let  him  go  !  "  I  own  his 
Godhead  there,  I  worship  him  as  my  God,  that  can  raise  the 
dead ;  —  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  in  whom  he  that  believeth, 
though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live. 

Ay,  there  's  another  scene.  I  see  a  lake  spread  out  before 
me ;  in  the  midnight  hour  there  is  a  little  vessel  laboring  in  a 
tremendous  sea.  There 's  universal  consternation  on  board  that 
little  ship.  The  sails  are  torn  from  the  masts,  and  the  tre- 
mendous waves  rush  in.  Come,  come,  —  take  care !  Who 's  that 
lying  there  ?  Light  in  the  forecastle  there  !  It 's  Jesus  Christ, 
asleep,  in  the  midst  of  the  peril,  —  and  this  is  his  humanity. 
Hear  the  cry,  "  Lord,  save  us,  or  we  perish  !  "  He 's  on  his  feet ! 
behold  him  now !  He  stands  upon  the  deck.  His  hair  streams 
in  the  midnight  winds,  and  the  waves  are  in  fury,  and  his  seam- 
less coat  is  spirted  with  the  spray :  all  is  universal  consterna- 
tion, and  the  vessel 's  about  to  go  to  the  bottom.  "  Hear,  ye 
winds  and  waves  !  Peace,  peace  I  be  still !  "  There  the  waves 
are ;  will  they  hear  that  whisper  ?  "  Peace,  peace !  he  still !  " 
The  waves  crouch  down  before  his  face,  and  by  and  by  there 
is  not  a  breath ;  and  a  mighty  power  levels  every  wave,  and  the 
last  breaks  upon  the  shore,  and  there  's  a  universal  calm.  And 
while  seamen  cry  out,  "  How  great  a  man  is  this,  that  the  very 
wind  and  waves  obey  him  I "  my  soul  bows  down  and  adores 
him,  and   confesses  that  he 's  God  as  well  as  man.     Halle- 


THE    FULNESS    DWELLING    IN    JESUS    CHRIST.  91 

LUJAH !  HE  IS  God  !  This  God  is  our  God,  for  ever  and  ever ! 
Glory  be  to  God  ! 

0,  praise  him !  praise  him !  I  would  say  to  you,  may  my 
God  bless  you !  If  I  had  time,  I  would  take  you  to  the  garden 
and  see  him  there ;  and  I  would  show  you  him  ascending  up  into 
light,  —  up  into  heaven,  and  taking  his  throne  as  Mediator;  and 
would  take  up  that  universal  voice  in  baptism,  —  "  In  the  name 
of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  —  and 
would  bind  them  all  together,  and  lay  them  at  the  feet  of  my 
Lord,  and  call  upon  you  and  upon  all  heaven  to  bring  forth  the 
royal  diadem,  and  crown  my  Jesus  Lord  of  all.  For  it  pleased 
tJie  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dioell. 

Well,  then ;  let  Unitarians  call  us  madmen  ;  let  them  ridicule 
our  trusting  in  his  blood,  and  adoring  him  as  God ;  but  while 
heaven  is  praising  its  King,  and  all  the  armies  of  the  sky  are 
praising  him,  and  while  it  is  said  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus 
every  knee  shall  bow,  and  every  tongue  confess  that  he  is 
Lord,  —  with  the  rest  of  heaven  —  with  all  the  good  Protestants 
upon  the  earth  —  let  the  Unitarians  say  as  they  will,  we  will 
worship  Jesus  Christ  as  our  God,  as  our  Saviour.  We  will 
adore  him,  for  upon  the  foundation  of  his  Godhead  the  whole 
superstructure  of  redemption  is  raised.  If  he  's  not  God,  his 
blood  is  good  for  nothing;  it  is  the  Godhead  of  Christ  that  gives 
efficacy  to  his  blood.  Take  away  the  Godhead  from  Jesus 
Christ,  and  make  him  a  mere  man,  and  I  could  n't  trust  in  his 
blood.  And  therefore  I  could  not  be  a  New  Testament  Chris- 
tian. He  was  man  that  he  might  have  blood  to  shed ;  he  was 
God  that  blood  might  obtain  the  forp;iveness  of  sins.  Join  me 
in  saying,  with  the  great  prophet  Isaiah,  "He  was  wounded  for 
our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities ;  the  chas- 
tisement of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and  by  his  stripes  we  are 
healed."  In  the  name  of  the  living  God,  hold  closely  by  the 
divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  And  may  God  help  us  to 
love  him,  serve  him,  and  adore  him;  for  it  pleased  the  Father 
that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell. 

May  God  bless  you,  through  Christ  Jesus!     Amen. 


SEKMON  VI. 

THE  FEAR  OF  UNCONVERTED  MEN  IN  THE  HOUR  OF  DEATH. 

Forasmuch,  then,  as  the  children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also  himself 
likewise  look  part  of  the  same  ;  that  through  death  he  might  destroy  him  that  had  the 
power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil.  —  Hebrews  2  :  14. 

Many  persons  in  this  congregation  will  remember  that  I 
preached  from  this  text  last  Sunday ;  but  the  subject  is  of  such 
tremendous  importance,  —  so  closely  connected  with  the  weal 
or  woe  of  your  souls :  the  sin  of  neglecting  a  preparation  for 
death  involves  consequences  of  so  fearful  a  nature,  and  leaves 
the  soul  to  encounter  terrors  so  appalling :  the  sin  is  so  preva- 
lent: the  number  of  persons  committing  this  soul-murdering 
crime  so  fearfully  great,  —  that  I  am  perfectly  justified  in  again 
lifting  up  the  voice  of  warning,  and  caUing  upon  you  to  prepare 
to  meet  your  God. 

Look !  look !  at  the  end  of  the  rugged  passage  along  which 
you  are  walking,  there  is  a  dark  river, —  dark  as  midnight,  black 
as  the  blackest  night.  See !  as  the  lurid  lightning  plays  oyer  it, 
how  rugged  its  entrance !  how  frowning  and  terrible  its  preci- 
pices!  see  how  the  waves  swell,  and  the  billows  dash!  Hark! 
hark !  how  wild  the  screams  of  the  shivering  wretches,  as  they 
step  into  the  bitter  flood !  O !  how  needful  a  friend  at  that 
hour,  —  one  that  can  carry  poor  shivering  humanity  through 
the  swelHng  Jordan !     Our  text  points  you  to  that  friend. 

The  first  proposition  is,  that  unconverted  men  and 
women  are  afraid  to  die. 

That  you  must  die  at  some  time  or  another,  in  some  place 
or  another,  in  some  state  or  another,  is  a  settled  fact,  —  is  an 
unalterable  decree  of  Heaven.    When  you  think  about  being  torn 


THE  FEAR  OF  UNCONVERTED  MEN  AT  DEATH.        93 

away  from  friends,  from  home,  from  your  possessions,  your 
amusements,  —  of  being  housed  up  in  the  coffin,  and  laid  low  in 
the  deep  grave,  —  you  shudder.  When  you  think  about  the  pale- 
ness, the  pain,  the  fight  for  breath,  the  mortal  conflict,  —  your 
fearful  enemy  rushing  upon  you  at  that  hour  of  weakness, 
grasping  you  in  his  cold,  chilly  embrace,  mocking  your  suppli- 
cations, laughing  to  scorn  the  tears  and  agonies  of  your  friends, 
quenching  your  vital  principle,  turning  your  deathless  spirit  out 
on  the  domain  of  a  boundless  eternity,  —  when  you  think  of 
that,  you  sicken  at  the  thought.  But,  ah  !  you  follow  your  soul, 
as,  like  a  little  twinkling  light,  it  trembles  on  through  the 
dark  valley ;  there  you  see  it  rising  into  the  presence  of  that 
God  who  is  so  awful  in  purity  that  the  bright  seraphim  veil 
their  faces  and  fall  in  deep  adoration  when  he  worships.  Ah ! 
when  you  think  of  that  meeting,  —  of  having  your  life  over- 
hauled, and  all  your  principles,  motives,  and  conduct,  weighed 
in  the  balances,  before  a  being  of  purity  so  awful,  and  to  "  bide 
the  audit,"  —  when  you  think  of  the  consequences  of  that 
decision,  —  that  you  will  lose  or  gain  heaven  —  escape  or  rush 
into  hell,  —  ah  !  it  is  that  future,  that  unseen  world,  those  great 
and  awful  realities,  that  lie  hid  there,  —  you  are  afraid  of  God 
—  afraid  of  the  future !  You  feel  the  truth  of  the  proposition; 
you  are  a  wicked  man,  and  you  are  afraid  to  die ! 

When  I  was  in  Yorkshire,  I  heard  a  person  ask  this  question: 
"Which  impels  to  seek  salvation  most,  the  fear  of  death,  or  a 
desire  to  be  happy  ? "  I  think  that  is  hardly  a  fair  question ; 
these  two  should  not  be  separated.  There  are  multitudes  of 
people  who  have  no  idea  that  religion  can  make  them  happy. 
Still  they  think  it  a  good  thing  to  die  with.  Have  you  not  had* 
that  idea  yourselves,  friends  ?  —  that  religion  is  a  good  thing, 
that  I  may  die  happy ;  but  not  a  very  good  thing  to  get  through 
life  with.  No  wonder;  that  is  what  Satan  suggests.  The 
sacred  writers  say,  there  is  a  time  to  be  born,  and  a  time  to  die. 
What,  then,  is  there  no  time  between  ?  Yes,  there  is ;  but  he 
makes  no  account  of  it,  there  is  such  an  uncertainty  about 
human  life.  If  a  man  does  not  think  of  dying,  he  is  a  brute 
in  human  shape ;  he  must  have  sent  his  judgment  away. 


94  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

I  have  heard  missionaries,  on  the  missionary  platform,  exalt 
the  Bible,  and  say  that  it  is  a  blessing.  I  say,  men  make  it  a 
curse.  Don't  misunderstand  me.  It  is  one  of  the  greatest  bless- 
ings that  has  ever  been  given  to  man.  It  is  a  torch.  It  will 
light  him  to  a  knowledge  of  his  sins;  it  will  light  him  to  the 
foot  of  the  cross ;  it  will  light  him  to  heaven.  But  it  may  be  a 
double  torch  ;  and  if  a  man  will  not  be  lighted  by  it  to  heaven, 
it  will  light  him  to  hell. 

It  was  said  of  Hipparchus,  that  he  saved  the  people  from  two 
evils,  or,  that  he  bestowed  upon  them  a  double  good.  Before 
his  time,  they  did  not  understand  the  nature  of  eclipses,  and 
when  the  sun  disappeared,  they  thought  they  were  going  to  lose 
him  altogether.  When  the  moon  was  eclipsed,  they  could  not 
tell  what  would  be  the  result ;  but  Hipparchus  pointed  out  the 
cause,  and  thus  delivered  them  both  from  their  ignorance  and 
fear.  We  have  the  Gospel ;  and  the  blessed  Gospel  is  a  double 
good,  —  it  benefits  both  body  and  soul.  The  heathen,  when  he 
dies,  is  afraid  of  losing  soul  and  body;  the  Christian  sees  he 
has  his  soul  and  body  safe.  Look  at  old  Diogenes.  When  near 
his  end,  he  was  very  drowsy ;  he  said  to  those  about  him,  "  One 
brother  is  delivering  me  over  to  another ;  that  is,  brother  sleep 
is  delivering  me  over  to  an  eternal  sleep."  When  a  wicked 
man  dies  in  a  Christian  country,  he  may  say,  one  brother  is 
delivering  me  over  to  another  brother ;  death  is  delivering  me 
over  to  the  second  death,  —  that  is,  damnation. 

When  Socrates  was  going  to  drink  the  cup  of  poison,  and  to 
die,  he  said,  "  What  will  become  of  me,  the  gods  only  know." 
Poor  Socrates !  he  had  not  the  light  of  the  Gospel.  You  know 
*what  will  become  of  you.  Jesus  Christ,  when  crucified  by  the 
Jews, lifted  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  said,  "  Father,  forgive  them; 
they  know  not  what  they  do."  Jesus  Christ  could  not  ofl^er  this 
prayer  for  you.  You  are  not  ignorant  in  reference  to  your 
future  prospect ;  you  know  you  are  not  prepared  to  die. 

The  emperor  Adrian,  when  about  to  die,  addressed  his  soul 
thus  :  "  0  !  my  pretty  soul,  thou  pleasant  guest  and  companion 
of  my  body,  into  what  place  art  thou  now  going,  naked,  cold, 


THE  FEAR  OF  UNCONVERTED  MEN  AT  DEATH.       95 

and  trembling  ?  "  One  of  your  own  English  poets  has  taken 
up  the  subject  very  expressively  — 

"Poor  little  fluttering  thing, 
Must  we  no  longer  dwell  together  ?  '* 

Then  concludes :  "  Thou  hopest  and  fearest,  thou  knowest  not 
what."  A  dying  sinner  in  Christendom  hopes  and  fears,  he 
knows  what ! 

The  poet  in  our  land  of  Bible  light  sings  : 

"And  am  I  born  to  die, 
To  lay  this  body  down  ? 
And  must  my  trembling  spirit  fly 
Into  a  world  unknown?  " 

So  far  he  appears  on  a  level  with  Adrian ;  but  hear  him : 

"Will  angel  bands  convey 
Their  brother  to  the  bar  ? 
Or  devils  drag  my  soul  away, 
To  meet  its  sentence  there  ? 
Who  can  resolve  the  doubt 
That  tears  my  anxious  breast  ? 
Shall  I  be  with  the  damned  cast  out, 
Or  numbered  with  the  blest  ? 
I  must  from  God  be  driven. 
Or  with  my  Saviour  dwell ; 
Must  con»,  at  his  command,  to  heaven, 
Or  else  depart  to  hell !  " 

The  emperor  Adrian  did  not  think  of  these  things  ;  he  had  n't 
the  light  of  the  Gospel.  Poor  trembling  sinner !  don't  let  the- 
devil  make  a  fool  of  you.  You  may  as  well  try  to  pull  down 
the  moon,  or  pluck  away  the  stars,  or  blot  out  the  sun,  as  try  to 
blot  out  the  light  of  the  Bible.  You  cannot  blot  it  out,  though 
it  condemns  you.  You  do  not  wrestle  with  God  in  secret ;  the 
Bible  condemns  you.  You  do  not  love  God ;  the  Bible  con- 
demns you.  You  do  not  pray  in  your  families  ;  the  Bible  con- 
demns you.  You  are  a  whoremonger,  an  adulterer,  you  have 
no  excuse.     The  poor  heathen,  on  whose  mind  the  light  has 


96  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

never  shone,  may  find  some  excuse ;  but  you  have  none. 
There  is  light  in  the  Gospel.     Bless  God  ! 

It  would  light  you  to  pardon, — 
It  would  light  you  to  liberty, — 
It  would  light  you  to  heaven. 

But  that  light,  rejected,  abused,  and  trifled  with,  will  become  a 
torch  to  light  your  feet  down  to  the  shades  of  a  dark,  dark, 
eternal  night. 

Let  any  one  of  you  be  in  debt ;  —  you  are  at  liberty,  but  you 
are  liable  to  be  arrested.  There  is  a  man  there  in  debt ;  the 
police  follow  him  along  the  streets  of  Nottingham,  it  may  be,  — 
into  a  shop,  it  may  be.  The  police  seizes  him  by  the  collar ;  he 
says,  "You  are  my  prisoner  —  come  along  with  me."  It  may 
be  the  man  is  unwilling  to  go,  but  he  must.  Through  the  streets 
of  Nottingham,  it  may  be,  he  takes  him  to  the  judgment-seat  to 
be  tried.  Death  is  God's  police-officer ;  he  may  come  and  seize 
you  when  you  least  expect  him.  He  may  say,  "  Come  away  to 
the  judgment-seat,  —  you  are  God's  prisoner;"  and  the  poor 
fellow  must  go. 

God's  police,  a  very  short  time  ago,  fetched  away  an  infidel 
in  the  still  hour  of  night,  in  the  town  of ,  while  the  inhab- 
itants were  wrapt  in  profound  slumber.  An  infidel  felt  his  final 
hour  approaching  ;  his  infidelity  vanished  before  the  upbraidings 
of  his  guilty,  awakened  conscience.  "  Go,"  said  the  dying  man, 
"  to  such  a  local  preacher,  and  beg  hfm  to  come  and  give  me 
some  advice  about  my  soul."  The  messenger  hastened  away, 
and,  though  the  preacher  had  been  laid  up  with  a  bad  arm,  he 
dressed  himself  and  paced  his  way  through  the  silent  streets, 
and,  by  the  aid  of  the  lamp  that  gleamed  on  his  path,  soon  found 
his  way  to  the  door  of  the  poor  dying  infidel.  As  he  entered 
the  room,  the  eyes  of  the  dying  man  turned  towards  him,  lit  up 
with  an  unearthly  lustre  ;  —  his  very  soul  seemed  gleaming  in 
his  eyes ;    he  cried,  "  O,  sir,  save  me,  save  me,  do  save  me  !  " 

"My  friend,  I  cannot  save  you  ;  God  alone  can  save  you, — 
cry  to  him  for  salvation." 

"  0,  sir,  do  you  save  me  I  " 


THE  FEAR  OF  UNCONVERTED  MEN  AT  DEATH.      97 

Said  the  preacher,  "  God  sometimes  makes  man  the  instru- 
ment of  enlightening  a  dark  mind  like  yours,  but  he  alone  can 
save  your  soul."  The  preacher  knelt  down  and  pleaded  with 
God  that  he  would  save  the  man,  —  pleaded  with  unusual  lib- 
erty; pleaded,  read,  and  exhorted  him  for  two  hours.  The 
expiring  man  listened  with  the  deepest  attention,  and  appeared 
to  drink  in  every  word  that  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  man  of  God. 
At  length,  the  devil  seemed  to  make  his  last  effort,  and  we  are 
grieved  to  add  we  fear  a  successful  one.  When  the  preacher 
expected  symptoms  of  penitence,  he  roused  himself  up  as  though 
a  fiend  had  taken  possession  of  him ;  he  began  to  swear  in  a 
most  horrible  manner,  and  to  blaspheme  the  name  of  God.  He 
turned  his  eyes  upon  the  preacher  and  said,  "  Out,  out  of  my 
room!  If  I  could  reach  you,  I  would  dash  your  brains  out !  "  The 
preacher  said,  "  I  knew  he  was  too  weak  to  leave  his  bed  to  reach 
me.  I  felt  resolved,  however,  not  to  give  up  the  contest;  I 
therefore  knelt  down  again,  and  pleaded  with  God  for  his  salva- 
tion. As  death  approached,  —  as  the  dimness  of  the  grave 
began  to  gather  over  him,  —  as  the  room  was  growing  dark  to 
his  fading  sight,  —  he  became  more  and  more  furious.  The 
tones  of  agonizing  prayer  and  the  horrible  ravings  of  the 
infidel  blended  in  wild  confusion,  and  doubtless  presented  to 
heaven  and  hell  a  scene  of  fearful  conflict,  of  intense  interest. 
The  closing  scene  was  evidently  fast  approaching,  —  the  struggle 
was  reaching  its  climax.  The  moment  that  was  to  fix  him  in 
heaven  or  hell  was  just  at  hand.  The  scene  was  intensely 
exciting.  The  quiet  that  reigned  without  in  the  street,  the 
solemn  hour  of  midnight,  added  to  the  solemnity  of  the  scene. 
Nothing  was  heard  now  but  the  two  voices,  —  that  of  prayer 
and  swearing  vieing  with  each  other  in  energy.  The  fatal  mo- 
ment now  arrived,  —  the  whole  frame  of  the  infidel  was  con- 
vulsed in  the  agonies  of  death.  He  fixed  his  two  elbows  on  the 
pillow,  raised  himself  up  in  the  bed,  and,  with  a  wild  and  fright- 
ful scream,  cried, 'O  God,  this  moment  damn  my  soul  I'' ^^  — 
he  fell  back  upon  the  pillow,  and  expired.  The  scene  on  earth 
closed,  and  the  eyes  of  another  world  looked  upon  the  sequel. 
Such  was  the  death  of  this  infidel,  and  that  too  only  a  very  short 
9 


98  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

time  ago.  Let  me  tell  you,  you  sinners,  that  if  you  reject  Jesus 
Christ,  you  have  no  guarantee  that  your  death  will  not  be  an 
equally  horrible  one.  It  may  not  exhibit  all  the  tragic  scenes 
of  the  one  to  v\7hich  I  have  referred ;  but,  if  you  neglect  the 
religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  you  will  be  as  really  damned  as  the 
infidel. 

The  case  we  have  referred  to  above  is  another  proof  of  the 
truth  of  our  proposition,  that  unconverted  men  are  afraid  to  die. 
Death,  we  said,  is  God's  police-officer,  and  he  is  abroad.  He 
may  seize  you  at  any  moment,  and  say,  "  Come  away ;  you  are 
God's  prisoner  ! "  and  you  must  go.     O !  if  you  are  not  ready ! 

The  second  proposition  is,  that  a  Christian  is  not  afraid 
TO  die. 

Death  to  him  is  a  physical  dissolution ;  it  is  a  spiritual  vic- 
tory. We  have  visited  death-beds  where  the  poor  fellows  could 
not  move  an  arm  or  a  foot,  —  but  it  was  peace.  He  is  going 
to  die  like  a  little  child ;  and  in  death  he  triumphs. 

There  was  a  dying  chief  in  Scotland,  belonging  to  one  of  the 
Scotch  clans.  A  friend  wanted  to  see  him.  No !  he  could  not 
be  seen ;  he  did  not  want  to  be  seen  but  in  armor.  The  friend 
was  importunate  ;  he  must  see  him.  Well,  if  he  must  see  me, 
buckle  on  my  armor.  They  raised  him  up  in  bed,  and  buckled 
on  his  armor.  He  saw  his  friend,  and  lay  down  to  die.  The 
Christian  dies  in  armor. 

Addison,  when  he  was  about  to  die,  said  to  a  young  man  (a 
young  libertine,  I  believe  he  was),  "  Come  and  see  how  a  Chris- 
tian can  die."     The  Christian  dies  in  confidence. 

There  is  a  monument  erected  to  General  Wolfe,  and  on  it  are 
inscribed  the  words,  "  Here  died  Wolfe  victorious  !  "  If  they 
would  put  up  a  monument  where  every  Christian  dies,  the  earth 
would  b.e  full  of  monuments.  He  dies  victorious  !  Hallelujah ! 
hallelujah ! 

There  is  sometimes  hard  struggling  about  death.  I  knew  a 
blessed  woman  about  to  die,  yet  she  was  afraid.  A  friend  said 
to  her,  "Why,  what  are  you  afraid  of?"  She  replied,  "I  am 
not  afraid  to  die.     But  the  death  struggle." — "  Why,  sister, 


THE  FEAR  OF  UNCONVERTED  MEN  AT  DEATH.      99 

your  hands  are  cold ;  the  blood  is  going  away  from  under  your 
nails  ;  you  are  just  now  dying !  "  She  praised  God,  and  died 
peacefully  and  triumphantly.     Bless  God  ! 

Many  children  in  the  Sunday-schools  which  are  to  be  found 
in  this  land,  as  nurseries  for  heaven,  are  saved  from  the  fear  of 
death.  The  Sunday-school  children  can  play  with  the  lion's 
mane.  Isa.  11 :  8,  —  "  And  the  sucking  child  shall  play  on  the 
hole  of  the  asp,  and  the  weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the 
cockatrice's  den."  Old  men  have  been  saved  from  the  fear  of 
death.  When  the  almond-tree  flourishes,  the  grasshopper  is  a 
burden,  desire  fails,  and  they  are  afraid  of  that  which  is  high, 
and  of  things  that  may  be  in  their  way.  But  they  are  not  afraid 
to  die  ;   some  of  them  die  gloriously. 

In  the  State  of  Massachusetts  there  was  an  old  saint.  He 
had  preached  the  truth  for  thirty  years.  This  old  servant  of 
God  went  to  die  among  his  own  children.  One  day  he  looked 
very  solemn.  No  wonder,  —  it  is  a  solemn  thing  to  die.  His 
son  came  to  him,  and  said,  *'  Father,  are  you  afraid  to  die  ?" 
"  No,  Samuel,"  said  he,  "  I  have  been  prepared  for  death  for 
thirty  years."  When  he  was  brought  near  to  the  verge,  in  the 
last  conflict,  foot  to  foot  with  the  enemy,  he  cried  out,  "  O  glo- 
rious !    glorious  ! " 

In  Baltimore  there  was  a  physician  —  one  of  God's  saints. 
He  was  not  afraid  to  kneel  down  by  his  patients ;  he  gave 
medicine  for  the  soul,  as  well  as  the  body;  and  when  he  lay 
down  to  die,  he  said,  "  I  am  as  happy  as  I  can  live  !  Halle- 
lujah !  hallelujah  !  "  The  room  was  ringing  with  the  praises 
of  God.  One  of  the  physicians  came  to  him  and  said,  "  Doctor, 
we  know  you  are  happy ;  but  we  think  you  will  shorten  life,  if 
you  shout,  —  so  whisper,  whisper,  doctor."  "  Let  angels  whis- 
per !  Let  angels  whisper  !  Let  angels  whisper  !  But  if  I  had 
a  voice  as  loud  as  seven  thunders,  I  would  make  the  world 
hear." 

Females  are  saved  from  the  fear  of  death.  Delicate  and  ner- 
vous females  have  had  the  mind  braced  up  for  the  last  conflict. 
One  of  them,  when  brought  near  the  close  of  life,  said,  "  I  am 
not  afraid  ;  I  see  the  grave ;  I  see  the  worm,  but  I  see  my  Jesus. 


100  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

I  am  happy;  bless  God,  my  soul  is  happy!"  That  is  how 
females  can  die,  bless  God  ! 

There  was  a  disease  in  North  America  —  an  epidemic.  Some 
thought  the  Lord  would  save  our  pastor  ;  but  oh  !  the  epidemic 
spread  —  the  pastor  was  seized,  and  his  wife  too.  For  a  good 
man  some  would  even  dare  to  die,  and  there  were  those  who 
would  have  been  willing  to  die  that  the  pastor  might  live  ;  but 
the  Lord  did  not  see  good  that  it  should  be  so.  But  the  servant 
of  God  was  willing  to  die,  and  oh !  how  triumphant  as  he  lay ! 
He  exclaimed,  "  They  are  coming  !  they  are  coming !  they  are 
coming !     Glory  !  glory  !  glory !  " 

His  wife  was  in  the  other  room ;  she  appeared  to  be  dozing. 
They  heard  a  voice  coming  out  of  the  room,  and  she  was  saying, 
"  Is  that  he  ?    Is  that  he  ?    Is  he  gone  ? " 

They  replied,  "  Yes,  he  is  gone." 

"  When  did  he  die  ?     Was  he  triumphant  ? " 

"  Yes,  triumphant." 

"  He  is  gone  !  now  I  am  happy ;  I  have  done  my  work ;  I 
will  follow  now,"  she  cried,  and  died.     Bless  the  Lord  I    Amen. 


SERMON   VII. 

QUENCHING   THE   SPIRIT. 

Quench  not  the  Spirit.  —  1  Thess.  5:  19. 

"  Don't  kill  yourself!  "  once  wrote  a  gentleman  to  a  minister 
who  was  laboring  zealously  for  God ;  "don't  kill  yourself !  "  he 
wrote  at  the  bottom  of  a  long  sheet,  in  large  letters.  So  you 
may  say  to  me,  "  Don't  make  so  much  ado  about  religion  ;  don't 
kill  yourself."  But  we  must  do  the  work  of  God,  let  the  con- 
sequence be  what  it  will ;  and,  if  we  should  die  a  few  years 
sooner,  it  will  be  all  right,  —  we  should  be  happy,  and  the  work 
would  go  on.  As . Charles  Wesley  observes,  "God  buries  his 
workmen,  and  carries  on  his  work."  But  to  the  point.  Every 
one  of  you  has  his  own  particular  way  of  sinning.  Some  are 
in  the  habit  of  neglecting  the  house  of  God  ;  you  say  you  wor- 
ship God  in  the  great  temple,  under  the  canopy  of  heaven.  If 
you  had  been  in  Palestine,  you  would  have  objected  to  the  build- 
ing of  the  Temple. 

I  shall  meet  you  at  the  day  of  judgment,  and  I  hope  you  will 
have  to  bless  God  that  you  and  a  stranger  met  together  in  Wes- 
ley Chapel.  If  you  cannot  go  with  me  in  my  remarks  all  the 
way,  go  with  me  as  far  as  you  can,  and  may  God  bless  you. 

The  passage  I  have  chosen  as  a  text  has  been  impressed  on 
my  mind  this  day  with  very  solemn  weight :  —  Quench  not  the 
Spirit !     Quench  not  the  Spirit !     Quench  not  the  Spirit ! 

I.  The  Spirit's  operations  are  true. 

I  see  now  before  my  imagination  a  range  of  mountains  that 
I  crossed  a  few  months  ago  —  the  Alpine  mountains.  There 
are  awful  precipices  on  that  Alpine  range.  There  is  a  sol- 
itary about  to  cross  that  range  of  mountains.  It  is  mid- 
night. There  is  no  moon ;  there  are  no  stars  to  be  seen  ;  it  is 
pitchy  dark.  The  solitary  takes  his  lamp;  it  is  well  trimmed; 
9=^ 


102  REVIVAL     MISCELLANIES. 

he  knows  its  value,  for  he  knows  the  darkness  of  the  night,  the 
narrowness  of  the  way,  and  the  precipices  on  the  right  and  on 
the  left.  But  his  friend  comes  to  him,  just  at  starting,  and  says, 
"  Take  care  of  your  lamp,  for  if  you  put  it  out,  you  will  be  in 
a  most  dangerous  place.  Quench  Twt  the  light  I  Quench  not  the 
light!" 

Sinner,  the  way  to  heaven  is  over  the  mountains.  The  way 
is  narrow  and  difficult ;  the  night  is  dark ;  but,  with  the  light 
of  truth,  and  the  light  of  the  Spirit,  you  may  find  your  way,  and 
land  safe  in  the  fair  regions  of  heaven  !  Hallelujah !  halle- 
lujah !  Now,  backslider,  you  were  converted  about  ten  years 
ago,  it  may  be,  and  if  ever  anybody  was  happy,  you  were ;  but 
you  have  yielded  to  the  devil,  and  allowed  the  light  to  go  out. 

I  told  you  this  morning  that  providence  was  God  in  motion, 
God  in  nature  :  and  nature  is  true.  There  is  a  certainty  about 
the  laws  of  nature.  The  laws  of  attraction,  repulsion,  adhesion, 
and  gravitation,  are  to  be  relied  upon,  because  they  are  the  laws 
of  God.  God  is  true  in  his  operations,  —  his  designs  are  per- 
fect ;  and  if  I  can  depend  upon  his  motions,  cannot  I  depend 
upon  his  words  ?  Why  should  I  depend  upon  his  motions  pro- 
ducing spring  and  summer,  harvest  and  winter,  and  not  depend 
upon  the  words  of  his  mouth  ?  Do  you  think  he  is  a  dumb  God  ? 
Do  you  think  he  has  no  voice  ? 

God  has  spoken.  He  has  caused  his  words  to  be  written  down 
in  a  book — the  Bible.  There  is  no  book  professing  to  come 
from  God  but  this.  This  book  is  the  expression  of  his  mouth ; 
they  are  the  words  of  God's  mind.  There  is  no  other  book 
throughout  the  intellectual  world  that  comes  from  God ;  and  as 
there  is  a  certainty  in  the  laws  of  nature,  so  there  is  a  certainty 
in  the  word  of  God.     There  is  a  certainty  in  the  Spirit  of  God. 

Shall  I  relate  to  you  a  part  of  my  own  experience,  —  not  what  I 
have  heard  or  read  in  dusty  books,  but  what  I  have  known  in  my 
own  experience  ?  This  little  head  of  mine  had  been  very  busy 
to  get  as  much  knowledge  as  possible,  in  preparing  for  the  min- 
istry —  all  very  right  in  its  place.  The  Lord  took  me  aside.  I 
did  not  see  a  vision,  I  did  not  hear  a  voice,  but  the  impression 
was  made  deeply  upon  my  mind.  —  1st.  The  absolute  necessity 


QUENCHING    THE    SPIRIT.  103  • 

of  praying  more  earnestly  and  constantly.  —  2d.  That,  without 
the  Spirit  of  God  attending  my  ministry,  I  should  be  as  a  tree 
without  fruit,  and  as  clouds  without  rain. 

It  was  a  stray  leaf  on  one  of  the  mountains  in  America, 
that  was  the  means,  in  the  hands  of  God,  of  producing  that 
change  which  from  that  time  was  to  be  observed.  The  words 
upon  that  stray  leaf  were  written  in  England,  by  Dr.  Adam 
Clarke.  Little  did  he  think  that  those  words  would  be  wafted 
on  to  the  mountains  in  America,  and  be  made  an  instrument  of 
so  much  good. 

Perhaps  some  of  you  are  saying,  Do  you  recollect  the  words  ? 
I  do;  they  were  these:  —  "All  this  scriptural  and  rational 
preaching  will  be  useless,  without  the  Spirit  of  God.  Without 
the  Holy  Ghost,  we  are  but  as  a  sounding  brass,  and  a  tinkling 
cymbal :  but  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  word  must  be  effective,  — 
sinners  must  be  converted."  These  words  of  truth  must  be 
guarded,  because,  under  a  luminous  burning  agency,  a  man  may 
grieve  the  Spirit,  and  go  to  hell  at  last. 

God's  winds  wafted  the  doctor's  remarks  across  to  the  Ameri- 
can shores ;  they  were  transferred  from  the  leaves  of  the  book, 
and  written  with  the  Spirit  of  God.  On  the  leaves  of  this  poor 
memory  of  mine  there  was  then  a  great  important  truth  written ; 
now  see  the  deep  and  wonderful  counsel  of  this  same  Spirit,  first 
sending  a  passage  across  the  ocean,  writing  that  passage  on  this 
poor  heart  of  mine,  and  then  wafting  me  like  a  stray  leaf  back 
to  the  shores  of  old  England,  to  utter  this  great  truth  —  this  all- 
important  truth,  —  "  The  necessity  of  a  larger  measure  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  the  ministry,  in  the  Church,  and  in  the  world." 

Hear  the  circumstances  that  led  me  to  these  shores :  —  The 
step  was  not  taken  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  but  was  the  sub- 
ject of  calm  deliberation,  during  several  months.  Our  Confer- 
ence of  1839  was  held  in  New  York ;  that  year  I  was  appointed 
to  Whitehall,  New  York. 

I  began  to  reflect  upon  the  propriety  of  choosing  a  wife ;  but 
while  indulging  in  this  purpose,  for  some  reasons  I  cannot 
explain,  my  heart  became  very  hard,  the  Lord  seemed  to  depart 
from  me,  and  my  soul  appeared  now  to  be  mantled  in  the  thick- 


104  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

est  gloom.  God,  who  had  honored  me  with  such  intimate  com- 
munion with  himself  since  my  conversion,  apparently  left  me  to 
battle  it  out  alone. 

My  distress  and  gloom  were  so  great,  1  could  not  unpack  my 
library,  nor  arrange  my  study.  I  began  to  reflect  on  my  unhappy 
state  of  mind.  The  world  was  a  blank  —  a  bleak,  howling  wil- 
derness to  my  soul,  without  the  smiles  of  my  Saviour.  In  fact,  I 
could  not  live,  but  must  wither  away  from  the  face  of  the  earth 
without  his  comforting  and  satisfying  presence.  With  many 
tears,  I  besought  him  to  reveal  again  his  face  to  my  soul :  that  if 
my  purposes  were  crossing  his,  to  show  me ;  and  whatever  was 
his  will,  I  would  at  once,  by  his  help,  yield  my  soul  unto  it. 
"  Lord  God,"  I  said,  "  if  my  will  crosses  thy  will,  then  my  will 
must  be  wrong;  for  thine  cannot  but  be  rights  Now,  I  cared 
not  what  he  commanded  me  to  do,  or  leave  undone ;  I  stood  ready 
to  obey.  I  felt  assured  clear  light  from  God  on  some  point 
would  reach  my  soul ;  but  I  no  more  expected  such  an  order  as 
came  soon  after,  than  I  expected  he  would  command  me  to  fly 
upward  and  preach  the  Gospel  in  another  planet.  During  three 
days  I  cried  to  God,  without  any  answer.  On  the  third  day,  in 
the  afternoon,  I  obtained  an  audience  with  the  Lord.  The  place 
was  almost  as  lonely  as  Horeb,  where  Moses  saw  the  burning 
bush.  It  was  under  the  open  sky,  a  considerable  distance  from 
the  habitations  of  men ;  steep  rocks  and  mountains,  deep  forests, 
and  venomous  reptiles,  surrounded  me.  Here,  and  in  a  moment, 
the  following  passage  was  given  me  to  plead  :  —  "  And  the  Lord 
descended  in  the  cloud,  and  stood  with  him  there,  and  pro- 
claimed the  name  of  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord  passed  by  before 
him,  and  proclaimed.  The  Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and 
gracious,  long-suflering,  and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth ; 
keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  inquity  and  transgression 
and  sin,  and  that  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty."  —  Exod. 
34 :  5,  6,  7.  I  took  hold  of  this ;  many  of  the  words  were  as 
fire,  and  as  a  hammer  to  break  the  rocks  in  pieces  before  the 
Lord.  The  fountains  of  tears  were  opened,  and  the  great  deep 
of  my  heart  was  broken  up.  I  left  the  place,  however,  without 
receiving  any  light ;  but  my  heart  was  fully  softened  and  sub- 


QUENCHING    THE    SPIRIT.  105 

dued,  and  I  felt  assured  I  had  prevailed  in  some  way  with 
God.  I  was  confident  light  and  direction  were  coming ;  but  of 
what  nature  I  could  not  tell.  This  was  on  the  9th  of  July, 
1839.  The  same  evening,  about  twilight,  —  eternal  glory  be  to 
God  ! — when  reading  in  a  small  room  adjoining  my  study,  a 
light,  as' I  conceived  from  heaven,  reached  me.  My  soul  was 
singularly  calmed  and  warmed  by  a  strange  visitation.  In  the 
moment  I  recognized  the  change.  The  following,  in  substance, 
was  spoken  to  my  heart,  but  in  a  manner,  and  with  a  rapidity  I 
cannot  possibly  describe.  Every  ray  of  divine  glory  seemed  to 
be  a  word,  that  the  eye  of  my  soul  could  read  —  a  sentence 
which  my  judgment  could  perceive  and  understand  :  —  "  These 
matters  which  trouble  thee  must  be  let  entirely  alone.  The 
will  of  God  is,  that  thou  shouldst  visit  Europe.  He  shall  be 
with  thee  there,  and  give  thee  many  seals  to  thy  ministry.  He 
has  provided  thee  with  funds.  Make  thy  arrangements  accord- 
ingly ;  and  next  Conference  ask  liberty  from  the  proper  authori- 
ties, and  it  shall  be  granted  thee.  Visit  Canada  first ;  when  this 
is  done,  sail  for  England.  God  shall  be  with  thee  there,  and 
thou  shalt  have  no  want  in  all  thy  journeyings ;  and  thou  shalt 
be  brought  back  in  safety  again  to  America." 

The  above  is  far  beneath  the  dignity  and  grandeur  of  the  impres- 
sion. It  was  like  the  breaking  forth  of  the  noon-day  sun  at  mid- 
night. I  fell  upon  my  knees  before  the  Lord,  and,  oh  !  the  sweet- 
ness of  the  communion  I  then  enjoyed  with  God.  My  sky  was 
cloudless.  My  rest  of  soul  unutterable.  I  arose  from  my  knees  un- 
der the  strong  conviction  that  God  had  called  me  to  take  this  tour. 

The  time  for  the  sitting  of  Conference  arrived ;  I  presented 
my  request,  and  a  resolution  was  passed  that  I  should  have 
liberty  to  visit  Europe.     The  Spirit's  operations  are  true. 

II.     The  Spirit's  operations  may  be  quenched. 

You  cannot  stop  the  sun  in  his  course ;  you  cannot  roll  back 
the  tide ;  you  cannot  stop  the  raging  tempest ;  but  you  can 
quench  the  Spirit's  operations.  For  God's  government  over 
you  is  quite  different  to  that  exerted  over  mere  matter;  he  does 
not  govern  you  as  he  governs  the  sun,  the  tide,  and  the  tempest : 


106  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

his  government  over  you  is  a  government  of  motives  —  a  moral 
government.  Quench  not  the  Spirit.  You  may  extmguish 
this  holy  fire  in  many  ways.  Neglect  to  put  fuel  to  the  fire, 
and  it  will  go  out;  —  cover  it  with  ashes,  that  no  air  can  get  to 
it,  —  pour  water  upon  it,  —  and  it  will  go  out.  The  Spirit  of 
God  is  easily  grieved.  Do  not  quench  it.  "  But,"  says  one,  "  I 
have  quenched  the  Spirit,  for  my  heart  is  as  hard  as  a  rock." 
Are  you  willing  to  give  up  sin  ?  Have  you  any  desire  to  be 
saved  from  sin,  from  hell  to  heaven?  If  so,  you  have  not 
quenched  the  Spirit,  —  you  may  be  saved. 

There  's  a  backslider  here ;  you  were  once  happy,  —  you  loved 
the  house  of  God ;  't  is  a  mercy  that  his  influences  are  not  totally 
quenched.  There  is  an  importance  about  that  uneasiness  in 
your  mind.  There  is  something  about  you  with  which  you  are 
not  acquainted.  Ah  !  that  may  be  the  last  uneasiness  you  may 
ever  have  upon  earth  —  the  last  time  the  Spirit  may  ever  strive 
with  you,  if  you  do  not  give  your  heart  to  God. 

A  young  man  once  said,  "  After  I  have  been  to  the  ball,  I  will 
give  my  heart  to  God."  The  Spirit  was  making  the  last  efTort 
with  him.  He  went  to  the  ball,  and  died  on  the  floor.  As 
others  have  been  damned,  you  may  be  damned.  Take  care! 
take  care !     Quench  not  the  Spirit. 

There 's  a  man  who  is  a  tippler ;  he  goes  on  tippling,  tippling, 
till  he  tipples  into  hell.  Brandy,  rum,  gin,  and  such  intoxicat- 
ing drinks,  are  the  devil's  agents.     Thank  God  for  teetotalism ! 

A  man  on  the  Hudson  river  was  very  unhappy,  under  a  con- 
cern for  his  soul.  He  said  to  his  wife,  "  I  am  very  unhappy." 
She  succeeded  in  turning  his  attention  away  from  his  concern 
for  his  soul ;  he  died  unhappy. 

A  man  came  to  chapel  some  time  ago ;  the  word  came  under  a 
luminous  burning  agency  upon  his  soul,  which  made  him  say, 
"  I  cannot  stand  it."  So  out  he  went  to  a  dram-shop,  where  he 
had  some  liquor;  he  said,  "I  think  I  can  stand  it  now."  He 
went  to  the  chapel  again,  but  the  word  was  too  much  for  him; 
he  went  out  again,  got  some  more  drink :  in  the  morning  he  was 
found  dead.  You  won't  burn  your  bodies  out,  perhaps ;  but  you 
will  swear,  p'ferhaps.     You  will  lie,  perhaps ;  you  will  break  the 


QUENCHING    THE    SPIRIT.  107 

Sabbath,  perhaps ;  you  will  practise  uncleanness,  perhaps ;  you 
will  neglect  to  pray,  perhaps.  In  any  of  these  ways  you  may 
quench  the  Spirit.  What  will  be  the  consequences,  if  you  grieve 
the  Spirit?  You  will  be  able  to  disbelieve  the  Bible,  —  to  be 
an  Infidel,  —  to  look  upon  hell  as  a  scare-crow,  —  on  heaven  as 
a  fairy-land,  —  the  character  of  God  as  a  fiction;  —  you  will  be 
able  to  launch  forth  into  boundless  Atheism,  —  you  will  be  able 
to  go  quietly  down  to  the  grave,  without  any  concern  about  it, 
—  at  last,  you  will  drop  into  hell.  Those  who  quench  the  Spirit 
of  God  do  it  at  the  peril  of  their  damnation. 

Now,  let  every  one  in  God's  presence  kneel  down,  let  every 
head  be  bowed  before  the  Lord,  and  let  every  one  that  can  say 
after  me,  "  I  renounce  the  devil  and  all  his  works.  I  promise, 
God  being  my  helper,  to  leave  my  wicked  companions,  and  use 
every  means  in  my  power  to  secure  the  salvation  of  my  soul." 


SERMON  Vni. 

THE   STRIVING   OF   THE   SPIRIT. 

And  the  Lord  said,  My  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive  with  man.  —  Gen.  6 :  3, 

This  is  a  declaration  of  God  concerning  the  antediluvian 
world.  He  was  about  to  destroy  them,  but  could  not  let  fall  one 
drop  of  water  —  one  flash  of  lightning  —  one  spark  of  fire  ;  he 
could  neither  drown  nor  damn  a  man  of  them  till  the  Spirit  had 
done  striving  with  them.  For  the  long  space  of  an  hundred  and 
twenty  years,  —  the  period  during  which  the  ark  was  preparing, 

—  the  Holy  Ghost  strove  with  them ;  and  when  the  ark  was 
ready,  God  went  round  it,  and  shut  every  window  and  every 
door,  and  he  shut  in  Noah  and  his  family.  The  sound  of  those 
closing  doors,  as  it  echoed  among  the  hills,  announced  mercy 
fled  and  wrath  begun.  The  door  was  shut.  Then  the  fury  of 
God  broke  forth  ;  and  rush  met  rush,  and  flood  met  flood,  and 
cataract  met  cataract,  and  tempest  met  tempest,  till  the  last  sin- 
ner cursed  God  and  went  down.  The  storm  raged  on  still ;  in 
fury,  in  awful  sublimity,  it  broke  forth  in  one  wild  scene  of 
boundless  grandeur.  "And  the  Lord  said,  My  Spirit  shall  not 
always  strive  with  man." 

In  my  text  we  have  two  points,  — 

i.  a  great  fact  stated the  striving  of  the  spirit. 

ii.  a  dreadful  event  predicted the   cessation  of  the 

Spirit's  striving. 

First,  a  great  fact  stated.     There  is  about  this  fact  two  things 

—  a  necessity  and  a  certainty. 

First,  a  necessity.  What  do  you  mean,  says  one,  by  a  neces- 
sity? I  mean,  firstly,  there  will  be  no  concern  about  the  soul's 
salvation,  without  the    strivings  of  the   Spirit.     Without  the 


THE    STRIVING    OF    THE    SPIRIT.  109 

Spirit,  man  is  in  darkness  —  in  total  darkness.  He  is  dark- 
ness itself ;  there  is  not  a  glimmer  in  his  soul.  He  is  in  death's 
shadow ;  and  when  a  man  is  in  the  shadow,  the  substance  is  not 
far  off.  He  is  as  dark  as  a  Hottentot ;  yea,  he  is  as  dark  as  a 
devil.  It  is  by  the  Spirit  he  is  convinced  —  alarmed.  It  is  by 
the  Spirit  the  memory  is  refreshed  —  the  conscience  aroused. 
Yea,  that  unbidden  tear,  telling  that  all  is  not  yet  lost;  that 
softening  tendency,  that  melting  down  into  contrition,  those 
throes  of  agony  in  the  soul,  —  all,  all  are  the  work  of  the  Spirit. 
It  is  by  the  Spirit  he  is  enabled  to  look  to  the  Lamb  of  God  that 
taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world.  Without  the  Spirit,  no  con- 
viction of  sin,  no  contrition  for  the  past,  no  softening  tendency, 
no  melting  view  of  Calvary,  no  concern  for  the  soul,  will  ever  be 
felt.  These  influences  may  be  resisted,  and  this  resistance  may 
be  carried  on  to  a  point  in  the  history,  until  conscience  lays  down 
its  functions.  Then  the  heart  is  as  hard  as  a  stone,  and  the 
understanding  as  dark  as  hell  can  make  it.  Then  the  sinner  is 
like  a  ship  half  foundered,  in  midnight  darkness,  on  a  stormy 
sea,  —  masts  gone,  helm  broken,  and  compass  lost,  left  to  the 
mercy  of  the  winds  and  waves.  Then,  though  he  may  drop  a 
tear  over  the  grave  of  some  loved  one,  he  will  turn  up  towards 
the  God  that  redeemed  him  the  brazen  front  of  sullen  rebellion ; 
the  iron  hardness  will  be  on  his  soul,  but  an  infidel  he  cannot 
become,  till  the  Spirit  has  given  him  up.  Genuine  infidelity 
can  never  take  place  till  the  Spirit  has  ceased  to  strive.  See 
him  —  on,  and  on,  and  on  he  rushes  !  The  space  between  him 
and  hell  lessens  —  lessens  every  step.  The  lightnings  from  the 
Bible  flash  around  him  —  but,  no  feeling  I  The  thunder  from 
Sinai  roars — but,  no  feeling!!  The  lurid  fires  of  hell  glare 
up  in  the  distance  — but,  NO  FEELING! !! —he  is  LET 
ALONE  !  0,  my  God  !  of  all  the  curses  of  heaven,  save  me 
and  my  friends  from  the  curse  of  being  let  alone. 

I  mean,  secondly,  there  will  be  no  success  in  the  ministry, 
without  the  Spirit.  There  will  be  no  real  heavenly  fire,  without 
Divine  influence.  Whatever  sparks  of  his  own  kindling  there 
may  be,  the  coldness  of  death  and  the  chilliness  of  the  grave  will 
be  on  the  minister's  soul.  I  care  not  however  eloquent,  how- 
10 


110  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

ever  persuasive,  however  pathetic,  he  may  be.  He  may  kindle 
up  with  all  the  fire  of  Cicero,  and  thunder  with  the  eloquence 
of  a  Demosthenes;  he  may  have  at  his  command  all  the  range 
of  Bible  literature,  be  master  of  criticism,  wield  with  giant 
intellect  the  doctrines  of  revelation,  and  all  will  be  no  more 
than  the  chirping  of  a  grasshopper.  . 

What  is  the  best  machinery,  without  a  moving  power  ?  What 
would  your  best  railway  engines  do,  without  a  moving  power? 
Of  what  use  would  be  your  great  vessels  on  the  deep,  without  a 
moving  power  ?  And  we  tell  you  that  even  all  the  grand  ma- 
chinery of  the  Gospel  will  do  nothing,  without  a  moving  power 
—  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  soul  lies  imbedded  under 
thick  layers  of  darkness,  and  bound  up  in  fetters  of  iron.  None 
but  the  Almighty  Spirit  can  emancipate  it  from  its  bondage  and 
snap  its  fetters;  'tis  under  the  lightning  flashes  of  the  Spirit  — 
under  Holy  Ghost  preaching  —  that  the  soul  is  made  to  cry  out, 
"  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ? " 

Secondly,  there  is  a  certainty  about  the  striving  of  the  Spirit. 

I  tell  you,  no  man  can  go  to  hell-fire  till  the  Spirit  has  first 
striven  with  him,  and  given  him  up.  That  the  Spirit  strives 
with  all,  is  evident  from  the  following  considerations  :  1.  Christ 
died  for  all.  2.  The  experience  of  both  saints  and  sinners  tes- 
tifies to  it.  3.  Salvation  is  impossible  without  it.  4.  It  is  only 
on  this  ground  that  God  can  judge  and  condemn  the  wicked. 
He  has  been  striving  with  you,  and  there  are  some  characters 
here  that  have  been  grieving  the  Spirit  of  God.  You  are  im- 
pressed on  my  heart,  and  I  have  from  my  God  a  message  unto 
you.  O,  if  ever  I  felt  his  blessed  Spirit  with  me,  I  feel  he  is 
with  me  now. 

1.  The  first  character  I  name  is  the  backslider.  You  have 
been  grieving  the  Spirit  of  God.  I  would  not  seek  to  arouse 
your  passions  to  excite  and  frighten  you ;  but  I  would  calmly 
appeal  to  your  judgments.  But,  ah  !  why  do  I  do  this  ?  Your 
judgments  are  e'nlightened ;  you  know  your  duty ;  and,  if  you 
go  to  hell,  you  will  go  there  encircled  with  a  halo  of  heavenly 
light.  But  I  don't  want  to  shut  your  hearts  against  me,  neither 
do  I  want  to  drive  you  to  despair.     What  a  mercy  of  high  heaven 


THE    STRIVING    OF    THE    SPIRIT.  Ill 

it  is,  that  you  are  not  in  the  deeps  of  hell !  What  a  mercy  it  is  that 
you  are  in  the  house  of  God  to-night !  I  cannot  tell  whether  you 
belong  to  this  congregation,  or  to  some  other,  or  to  none ;  whether 
you  are  rich  or  poor,  old  or  young ;  whether  you  fell  by  little  and 
little,  or  whether  you  fell  at  once,  into  some  awful  crime  ;  whether 
you  fell  by  tippling,  by  an  act  of  dishonesty,  or  by  whoremon- 
gering,  —  this,  I  know,  you  are  a  backslider,  and  you  are  here. 
There  are  just  two  points  about  your  case.  You  have  been  very 
miserable  for  the  last  three  months ;  like  a  wandering  dove,  you 
have  had  no  rest.  Now,  I  tell  you,  you  will  soon  be  in  your 
winding-sheet,  or  converted  to  God.  It  will  be  the  one,  or  the 
other.  My  God  has  sent  me  with  this  message  to  you.  The 
devil  has  hold  of  you,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  has  hold  of  you, 
and  both  are  striving  with  you  ;  one  or  the  other  will  soon  pre- 
vail. O,  my  brother !  it  will  soon  be  Christ  or  the  devil, 
heaven  or  hell,  salvation  or  damnation.  0!  is  there  nothing 
that  can  reach  you  ?  Let  me  call  your  remembrance  to  the 
time  when  you  were  happy  —  happy  as  a  saint  —  happy  in  God. 
You  walked  and  talked  with  God ;  and  around  him,  as  the  cen- 
tral point  of  bliss,  your  spirit  circled.  With  what  joy  did  you 
look  up  to  heaven  as  your  hoine  !  Those  were  blessed  days  — 
but  they  are  gone.  I  could  say  much  to  alarm  you ;  but  one 
poor  sinner  ought  not  to  be  harsh  wath  another.  I  know  that  I 
myself  ought  to  have  been  sent  to  hell  years  ago ;  but  the  Lord 
had  mercy  upon  me,  and  pardoned  my  sins,  and  sanctified  my 
soul,  and  has  kept  me  for  years.  And  now  I  say  to  you,  with  a 
tender  heart,  O,  my  brother,  you  are  on  the  edge  of  the  pit  I  — 
on  the  brink  of  the  burning  lake  !  Another  step,  and  you  may 
pass  the  verge,  and  splash  on  the  fiery  wave.  Come  away! 
Come  away  ! !     O,  COME  AWAY  TO  JESUS  ! ! ! 

Your  distressing  case  reminds  me  of  an  affecting  incident 
connected  with  the  explosion  of  an  American  steamer,  a  few 
years  ago.  The  vessel  was  on  her  voyage  from  Savannah  to 
New  York.  In  a  dangerous  sea,  and  in  the  dead  hour  of  the 
night,  the  boiler  burst,  and  about  one  hundred  souls  were 
launched  into  eternity.  The  vessel  was  torn  to  pieces  ;  and, 
upon  a.  few  fragments  of  the  wreck,  with  the  mast  lying  across 


112  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

it,  a  number  of  human  beings  floated  out  to  sea.  They  contm- 
ued  to  drift  further  and  further  from  land,  till  nothing  but  sky 
and  water  met  their  view.  During  four  days,  the  scorching  sun 
poured  his  rays  upon  their  almost  naked  bodies,  till  they  were 
blistered.  They  had  no  food  to  satisfy  the  craving  of  hunger  : 
their  tongues  were  scorched  with  thirst ;  and  to  drink  the  salt 
water  they  knew  would  only  increase  the  dreadful  feeling.  A 
hint  was  given  by  one  of  the  sufferers  that  they  should  cast  lots 
who  should  die  for  the  sustenance  of  the  rest;  but  the  idea  of 
eating  the  flesh  and  drinking  the  blood  of  a  fellow-being  was 
rejected  with  horror.  As  they  were  gazing  intently  into  the  far- 
off  horizon,  they  were  cheered  with  what  at  first  appeared  a  dark 
spot,  but  which  soon  brightened  into  a  sail.  They  raised  their 
little  flag  of  distress,  but  it  was  unnoticed,  and  the  vessel  disap- 
peared. After  some  time  another  hove  in  view,  but  the  signal 
was  not  seen,  and  she  vanished  away.  In  like  manner  two 
others  appeared,  but,  to  their  anguish,  they  also  passed  out  of 
sight.  "  Hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick."  After  several 
hours  had  elapsed,  another  sail  appeared ;  it  seemed  as  if  it  was 
pasted  on  the  sky.  Soon  its  shape  altered;  the  outlines  of  a 
vessel  could  now  be  traced;  and,  to  their  trembling  joy,  seemed 
to  be  nearing  them.  Ah,  the  captain  of  that  ship  little  thought 
how  many  eyes  were  fixed  with  a  gaze  of  agony  upon  the  white 
sail  of  his  stately  vessel !  They  hoisted  their  signal  of  distress 
once  more,  and  uttered  their  feeble  cries ;  but,  alas !  she  also 
appeared  to  be  shaping  her  course  in  another  direction.  One 
poor  fellow,  who  had  been  dreadfully  scalded,  looked  himself 
into  despair,  cried  out,  "  She  is  gone !  "  and  laid  himself  down 
to  die.  The  time  of  extremity  was  God's  opportunity.  One 
eye  from  the  vessel  caught  the  signal ;  the  word  was  passed  to 
the  deck,  and  resounded  through  the  ship,  —  "A  wreck!  a 
wreck !  "  In  a  few  moments  she  began  to  bear  down  towards 
them.  One  of  the  sufferers,  perceiving  the  change  in  their 
course,  uttered  the  cry,  "  She  sees  us !  she  is  coming  towards 
us!" 

Nearing  them  rapidly,  the  vessel  loomed  up  within  a  short 
distance  of  them,  and  the  clangor  of  the  captain's  trumpet  rang 


THE    STRIVING    OF    THE    SPIRIT.  113 

over  the  waves,  —  "  Be  of  good  cheer  —  I  will  save  you !  "  I 
need  scarcely  tell  you  they  were  soon  on  board,  filled  with  ador- 
ing gratitude  to  God,  and  thanksgiving  to  their  deliverer.  Your 
state  of  soul  reminds  me  of  the  perilous  condition  of  these  ship- 
wrecked passengers.  You  were  sailing  onward  to  heaven  with 
a  happy  soul,  and  the  breezes  of  grace  were  propitious ;  but  an 
explosion  took  place,  to  the  astonishment  of  Heaven,  and  you 
"  made  shipwreck  of  faith  and  a  good  conscience."  Thank 
God,  you  have  not  gone  down  to  hell,  like  many  other  back- 
sliders !  You  have  floated  out  upon  the  mere  fragments  of  your 
hopes,  into  the  ocean  of  despair.  You  have  grieved  the  Spirit ; 
and  of  you  it  may  well  be  said  — 

**  His  passage  lies  across  the  biink 
Of  many  a  threatening  wave, 
And  hell  expects  to  see  him  sink, 
But  Jesus  lives  to  save!  " 

Yes,  "  Jesus  lives  to  save ;  "  and  it  is  written,  "  He  is  able  to 
save  to  the  uttermost."  The  promises  have  been  obscured  from 
the  eye  of  your  faith  by  strong  temptation.  Again  and  again 
you  have  found  yourself  unable  to  reach  them;  and,  like  the 
vessels  which  hovered  for  a  little  before  the  vision  of  those  dis- 
tressed persons,  and  then  vanished,  so  have  the  promises  to  your 
apprehension  ;  but  the  God  of  the  promises  is  at  hand.  If  we 
could  but  induce  you  to  repent,  to  lift  up  your  signal  of  distress, 
your  signal  would  be  seen  in  heaven.  The  Captain  of  your  sal- 
vation would  draw  nigh,  and  you  would  exclaim,  "  He  sees  me ! 
he  sees  me  !  he  is  coming  towards  me  !  he  is  —  see  !  " 

"Lo!  on  the  wings  of  love  he  flies, 
And  brings  salvation  nigh." 

O !  you  would  hear  the  voice  of  your  great  Deliverer,  saying, 
"  Be  of  good  cheer  —  I  will  save  you."  But  persist  in  grieving 
the  Hcdy  Spirit,  and  your  doom  is  sealed. 

2.  There  is  another  character  in  this  congregation.  I  don't 
know  whether  you  are  a  backslider  or  not.  You  may  be  decent 
in  your  conduct ;  you  may  respect  religion,  —  believe  in  its  great, 

awful,  and  solemn  verities ;  but  you  are  undecided,  — you  halt. 
10^ 


114  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

You  have  a  father  and  a  mother  unconverted,  who,  in  all  proba- 
bility vsrould  give  their  hearts  to  God  if  you  would  lead  the  way. 
You  have  been  laid  on  a  bed  of  affliction ;  you  solemnly  prom- 
ised God  to  serve  him  ;  but  your  resurrection  to  health  was  a 
resurrection  to  sin.  God  has  been  striving  to  convert  you,  to 
make  your  conversion  instrumental  in  the  salvation  of  your 
parents,  but  you  have  stood  out ;  and  my  God  has  sent  me 
solemnly  to  warn  you  against  the  soul-destroying  sin  of  putting 
off.  I  tell  you,  if  you  refuse,  God  will  speedily  send  death, — 
the  winding  sheet,  —  the  coffin,  —  the  white  border  round  your 
face,  —  the  shut  eye,  —  the  blanched  cheek,  —  the  cold,  cold 
grave.  I  tell  you,  if  you  refuse  to  let  God  preach  a  sermon  to 
your  parents  from  your  conversion,  he  will  preach  a  sermon  to 
them  from  that  coffin, — from  your  pale  corpse,  —  from  your 
shut  eye,  your  bordered  face,  your  blanched  cheek,  your  yawn- 
ing grave.  I  tell  you,  it  will  soon  be  the  one  or  the  other,  — 
conversion  or  damnation.  What  shall  it  be  ?  Will  you  now 
yield  to  God  ?  You  delay  —  you  grieve  the  blessed  Spirit;  and 
he  comes  less  and  less  powerfully  every  time.  God  says,  "  My 
Spirit  shall  not  always  strive  with  man."  Come,  oh  my  God ! 
and  save  this  halting  soul ! 

3.  There  is  another  character  in  this  congregation  deeply 
impressed  on  my  heart.  You  are  a  pew-holder,  and  a  friend  to 
the  preachers.  I  hope  you  are  not  too  great  a  friend.  I  mean, 
you  invite  them  to  your  homes  on  Sunday  evenings,  after  preach- 
ing—  to  your  hospitality,  to  your  ale  and  wine.  They  make 
engagements  to  take  supper  with  you  previous  to  going  to  their 
appointments  :  their  word  must  be  kept ;  and  the  consequence 
is,  the  prayer-meeting  is  left  —  penitents  are  not  led  to  Jesus, 
and  the  churches  do  not  flourish.  Ah,  this  hospitality !  The 
ale  and  wine  have  been  the  bane  of  Methodist  preachers,  and 
the  curse  of  Methodism.^  I  tell  you,  you  are  a  curse  to  the 
churches.     I  don't  mean  to  say  you  intend  to  do  the  preachers 

*  Let  us  praise  God  that  this  is  not  applicable  to  the  American  clergy : 
and  let  us  pray  that  the  principles  of  total  abstinence  may  be  speedily 
embraced  by  our  English  brethren.  — Editor. 


THE    STRIVING    OF    THE    SPIRIT.  115 

harm.  No ;  you  love  the  ministers,  and  I  honor  you  for  it.  If 
you  saw  one  of  them  poorly  clad,  you  would  put  your  hand  in 
your  pocket  and  give  him  a  suit  of  clothes.  I  say,  I  honor  you 
for  your  love  to  God's  servants  ;  still  your  table,  your  ale,  your 
wine,  have  proved  a  snare.  The  Lord  save  you  from  being  a 
curse  to  his  church !  You  are  a  pew-holder,  —  you  have  had  a 
seat  in  God's  house  for  the  last  fifteen  years.  I  might  go 
further,  —  no;  I  stop  just  there,  —  fifteen  years, — just  fifteen 
years.  I  will  not  attempt  to  say  how  much  evil  you  have  done 
by  your  example ;  how  many  souls  you  have  prevented  from 
joining  the  people  of  God ;  how  much  you  have  impeded  the 
Redeemer's  progress.  I  will  not  stop  to  say  why  God  sent 
leanness  into  your  soul;  why  you  have  not  prospered  in  business ; 
nor  why  God  has  cursed  your  property  and  cursed  your  family. 
For  fifteen  years  the  blessed  Spirit  has  been  wooing,  alluring, 
arguing,  and  trying  to  turn  you  to  God ;  but,  while  this  planet 
has  rolled  round  the  sun  fifteen  times,  you  have  been  fighting 
against  God!  Let  me  now  solemnly,  in  the  sight  of  high 
Heaven,  ask  you,  — 

1st.  How  long  do  you  mean  to  remain  as  you  are  ? 

2nd.  How  long  do  you  mean  to  rebel  against  God  ? 

Depend  upon  it,  matters  will  not  long  continue  as  they  are. 
God  has  a  controversy  with  you ;  he  will  ere  long  bring  it  to  a 
close :  the  crisis  is  approaching.  If  you  intend  to  be  saved,  you 
must  make  haste,  and  delay  not.  Your  conscience  is  almost 
seared ;  sermons  are  scarcely  of  any  use  to  you ;  under  the  soul- 
subduing  scenes  of  Calvary  you  melt  not ;  the  judgments  of  God 
make  upon  you  but  little  impression.  Your  damnation  slum- 
bereth  not.  This  message  to  you,  if  not  the  savor  of  life  unto 
life,  will  be  of  death  unto  death.  O !  I  am  afraid  I  am  prepar- 
ing some  of  you  for  the  fever,  —  the  pestilence,  —  the  winding 
sheet ;  I  mean  you  who  are  resisting  the  Spirit.  You  have  been 
listening  to  the  knockings,  —  the  knockings  of  the  Holy  Ghost; 
but  you  have  closed  and  barred  up  the  door  of  your  heart.  The 
last  knocking  will  come,  for  the  Lord  said,  "  My  Spirit  shall  not 
always  strive  with  man."  Great  God !  touch  to-night  this  pew- 
holder's  heart ! 


116  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

4.  One  character  more.  You  have  joined  some  church ;  you 
pass  for  a  Christian ;  you  go  the  round  of  Christian  duties ;  but 
you  have  no  happiness,  —  no  living  joy,  — no  bright  hope,  —  no 
burning  love.  I  ask  you,  do  you  think  you  have  ever  been  con- 
verted ?  When  was  it  ?  Under  what  circumstances  did  it  take 
place  ?  Is  it  possible  that  such  a  change  could  have  taken  place, 
and  you  know  nothing  of  it  ?  There  was  a  time  when  the 
Spirit  strove  with  you.  Yes,  he  has  been  striving  with  you  by 
that  hard  heart,  that  lean  soul,  that  standing  doubt.  And  you 
cannot  tell  but  that  the  influence  which  is  now  moving  on  your 
soul  may  be  the  last  effort  Heaven  will  make  for  your  salvation. 
What  I  want  to  do  to-night  is,  to  arouse  you  to  a  sense  of  the 
peril  of  your  situation.  What  can  be  done  to  awaken  you  from 
your  deep  and  death-like  slumbers  ?  You  are  here,  here  before 
God.  I  have  described  your  character,  —  you  know  it.  You 
have  a  witness  in  your  own  bosom.  You  feel  —  you  know  you 
are  not  right;  but  it  is  not  too  late, — you  may  yet  be  saved. 
But  when  the  Spirit  is  gone,  damnation  follows. 

I  proceed  to  state  the  results  of  resisting  God's  Holy  Spirit. 

II.  The  dreadful  event  predicted, — the  withdrawal 
OF  the  Spirit. 

First,  the  fact.  Under  the  Jewish  economy  there  was  a  law 
of  extremity ;  there  were  sins  for  which  there  was  no  forgiveness, 
—  no  blood,  no  lamb,  no  sacrifice,  no  provision  made.  Is  there 
such  a  law  under  the  Christian  dispensation  ?  I  answer,  there 
is ;  and  that  law  Jesus  Christ  read  up  eighteen  hundred  years 
asro.  It  is  contained  in  Matt.  12  :  31.  "  All  manner  of  sin  and 
blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto  men,  but  the  blasphemy  against 
the  Holy  Ghost  shall  not  be  forgiven  unto  men."  This  sin  is 
not  some  sudden  work,  not  some  one  deed,  but  a  quenching  of 
the  Spirit,  —  a  settled  resistance,  day  by  day,  till  the  blessed 
Spirit  is  vexed,  quenched,  driven  away.  Dr.  Chalmers  observes, 
on  this  subject,  "  The  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost  is  not  some 
awful  and  irrevocable  deed,  around  which  a  disordered  fancy  has 
thrown  a  superstitious  array,  and  which  beams  in  deeper  terror 
upon  the  eye  of  the  mind  from  the  very  obscurity  by  which  it  is 


THE    STRIVING    OF    THE    SPIRIT.  117 

encompassed."  No ;  it  is  resisting  the  Holy  Wooer,  till  he  has 
left  us  alone.  Than  being  left  alone  by  the  Spirit,  there  is  but 
one  thing  more  awful  can  happen  to  a  sinner,  and  that  is  damna- 
tion. I  again  say,  nothing  this  side  of  hell-Jire  is  so  bad  as  to 
be  given  up  by  the  Spirit. 

Secondly,  the  consequences. 

1.  Left  without  feeling;  as  the  Bible  says,  past  feeling. 

2.  Left  without  desire. 

3.  He  will  die  very  suddenly. 

I  believe,  in  my  soul,  that  the  cause  of  multitudes  of  sudden 
deaths  is  the  quenching  of  the  Spirit.  "  There  is  a  sin  unto 
death  ;  I  do  not  say  that  he  shall  pray  for  it."     1  John  5 :  16, 17. 

This  sin  may  be  of  a  two-fold  character,  relating  both  to  body 
and  soul. 

Eelating,  first,  to  the  body.  God  lays  that  young  woman  on 
the  bed  of  death  in  the  morning  of  her  days,  in  the  very  bloom  of 
life ;  she  has  sinned  a  sin  unto  the  death  of  the  body.  There, 
amidst  the  pain  of  a  dissolving  frame,  she  sheds  tears  of  bitter 
repentance ;  and  there,  in  that  last  struggle,  in  life's  last  hour, 
finds  mercy.  She  is  just  saved,  —  saved  as  by  the  skin  of  her 
teeth :  the  soul  saved,  the  body  destroyed.  Take  care  that  some 
of  you  do  not  go  to  the  grave  before  your  time. 

I  hope,  in  introducing  my  own  experience  here,  I  shall  not  be 
thought  guilty  of  egotism.  I  have  had,  for  years,  a  list  of  persons 
to  pray  for  ;  and,  when  one  dies,  I  strike  off  that  name,  and  put 
on  another.  Letter  after  letter  comes,  announcing  the  death  of 
some  one  or  other- of  them.  O,  how  many  has  death  struck  off 
my  list !  I  hope  you  Christians  have  your  lists.  Whether  you 
have  or  not,  the  great  Jesus  has  you  all  on  his  list,  and  he  pleads 
for  you ;  but  there  is  a  limit  to  his  pleading.  He  is  represented, 
in  the  parable  of  the  barren  fig-tree,  as  saying,  "  Let  it  alone 
this  year  also,  and  if  it  bring  forth  fruit,  well ;  but  if  not,  after 
that  thou  shalt  cut  it  down."  As  soon  as  ever  Jesus  shall  strike 
you  off  his  list,  the  Holy  Ghost  will  give  you  up:  then,  when 
the  Holy  Ghost  gives  you  up,  damnation  follows :  this  is  the 
consequence.     I  ask,  then,   will   you  come   out?     Come   out 


118  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

boldly,  and  take  your  stand  for  God.  You,  backsliders ;  you 
who  are  undecided,  who  stand  in  the  way  of  the  conversion  of 
your  father  and  mother;  you,  pew-holder;  you,  unconverted 
professors,  —  will  you  decide  for  Christ  ?  Decide  now.  I  tell 
you,  you  are  reaching  a  point  on  which  your  destiny  turns ;  the 
fearful  crisis  approaches  that  decides  your  fate.  Yes,  soon  it 
will  be  with  you  conversion  or  damnation.  I  know  some  of  you 
do  not  like  this  kind  of  preaching.  I  know  I  may  be  sinking  in 
the  estimation  of  many  intelligent  persons  in  this  congregation. 
I  have  suffered  more  from  this  ki^d  of  prophetic  preaching  than 
from  anything  else ;  but  I  have  weighed  well  the  consequences. 
I  know  what  will  win  human  applause,  and  I  am  willing  to 
make  the  sacrifice.  I  am  willing  to  be  a  fool,  for  Christ's  sake. 
Ah,  says  one,  you  are  doing  this  for  effect !  Amen !  Amen  ! 
Before  earth,  heaven,  and   hell,   I   proclaim,  I   am  aiming  at 

EFFECT. 

Now,  I  tell  you,  when  the  Spirit  has  ceased  to  strive  with 
you,  you  will  present,  on  your  dying  bed,  a  horrible  spectacle. 
Not  long  since,  in  a  certain  town,  a  man  was  dying,  —  a  man  v/ho 
respected  religion,  who  had  sat  in  the  house  of  God  for  years ; 
and,  as  his  end  approached,  his  mind  was  in  a  fearful  state. 
One  of  the  members  connected  with  the  chapel  where  he  sat 
went  to  see  him,  and  freely  held  out  to  him  the  promises,  and 
told  him  salvation  was  free  as  the  air.  The  dying  man  waved 
his  hand  and  said,  "  Stop  !  stop !  I  could  believe  all  you  say, 
were  I  not  offeri7ig  the  dregs  of  life  to  God."  Death  seized  him, 
and  the  last  words  he  was  heard  to  utter  were,  "I  could  believe 
all  you  say,  were  I  not  offering  the  dregs  of  life  to  God.'^  And 
you  whom  I  now  address,  I  tell  you,  you  are  sinners  against 
God.  I  do  not  charge  you  with  swearing,  with  sabbath -break- 
ing, with  whoremongering,  with  adultery,  but  you  are  sinners. 
And  what  is  your  sin?  I  answer,  it  is  mental  rebellion;  you 
refuse  to  yield  to  God's  claims.  Who  is  the  greatest  sinner  in 
the  universe?  Why,  the  devil.  And  what  was  the  sin  of  the 
devil  ?  Mental  rebellion.  Some  time  ago,  a  number  of  minis- 
ters met  together,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  revival  meetings. 
One  of  those  ministers  had  a  son  whose  heart  was  unsubdued. 


THE    STRIVING   OF    THE    SPIRIT.  119 

He  had  been  trained  up  at  their  family  altar ;  he  had  listened, 
from  time  to  time,  to  the  word  of  God;  had  heard,  from  day  to 
day,  the  pleadings  of  his  father  with  Heaven  for  his  conversion ; 
yet  he  still  stood  out.  He  had  constantly  before  him  the  holy 
example  of  a  devoted  father  and  mother;  and,  in  answer  to  their 
private  intercessions  for  him,  had  been  the  subject  of  deep  con- 
victions ;  but  he  resisted  the  Spirit.  He  was  seen  one  night  at 
the  revival  meeting.  One  of  the  ministers  entreated  him  to  give 
his  heart  to  God  ;  but,  in  sullen  rebellion,  he  still  resisted.  When 
the  meeting  closed,  and  he  returned  home,  his  anxious  mother 
got  him  alone,  and  urged  him  to  yield  to  God  (you  know  how 
mothers  can  plead).  He  gave  that  mother  a  look  as  fierce  as 
that  of  a  demon,  and  said,  "Mother,  I  tell  you,  I  would  rather 
be  damned  than  yield."  No  sooner  had  the  words  escaped  his 
lips,  than  he  stumbled,  and  fell  at  her  feet.  When  she  raised 
him  up,  he  was  a  corpse  ;  his  face  was  blanched  in  death.  But 
I  have  not  told  you  all ;  the  last  words  she  heard  him  say  were, 
"  I  am  damned,  I  am  damned  I "  Why  such  a  tender  mother's 
heart  was  permitted  to  be  wrung  with  anguish  so  deep,  God  only 
knows.  Now,  what  was  the  sin  of  that  young  man  ?  Why, 
mental  rebellion. 

God's  Holy  Spirit  is  striving  now  with  you,  backslider ;  with 
you  that  are  undecided ;  with  you,  pew-holders ;  with  you, 
unconverted  professors ;  and  you  refuse,  to  yield.  What  is  the 
sin  you  are  now  deliberately  committing  ?  Why,  inental  rebel' 
lion.  Now,  I  ask  you,  will  you  seek  the  forgiveness  of  your 
sins?  I  tell  you,  if  you  leave  this  chapel  to-night  unsaved,  you 
are  guilty  of  mental  rebellion.  The  young  man  said,  in  words, 
"  I  would  rather  be  damned  than  yield."  You  say,  by  conduct 
that  speaks  louder  than  words,  '■'■  Iiconld  rather  be  damned  than 
yield.'''  I  leave  the  great  Author  of  the  universe,  before  whose 
tribunal  j'-ou  must  standi — the  Judge  of  men,  to  decide  which 
is  the  greatest  sinner.  "  And  the  Lord  said,  My  Spirit  shall 
not  always  strive  with  man." 


SERMON  IX. 

THE   STING   OF   DEATH. 

Therefore,  leaving  the  principles  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  let  us  go  on  to  perfection; 
not  laying  again  the  foundation  of  repentance  from  sin  and  dead  works.  — Heb.  6 :  1. 
The  sting  of  death  is  sin.  —  1  Cor.  15  :  56. 

A  SLIGHT  acquaintance  with  a  man  will  convince  us  of  the 
truth  of  two  propositions. 

First.  That  every  man  is  laboring  to  attain  some  object. 

Second.  That  according  to  the  intensity  of  the  interest  he 
feels  in  the  object,  will  be  his  delight  in  pursuing  it.  It  is 
the  deep  interest  he  feels  in  the  object  that  sweetens  the  toil, 
beguiles  the  time,  and  cheers  him  on.  These  two  propositions 
lie  at  the  foundation  of  all  human  effort,  —  they  pervade  the 
entire  of  our  actions. 

A  few  illustrations  of  this  poin 

Jacob  engaged  with  Laban  to  serve  him  seven  years  for 
Eachel.  The  object  before  him  was  Rachel ;  and  though  the 
sun  scorched  him  by  day,  and  the  frost  withered  him  by  night, 
it  is  said,  "  Jacob  served  seven  years  for  Rachel,  and  they  seemed 
to  him  but  a  few  days,  for  the  love  he  had  to  her."  The  deep 
interest  he  felt  in  the  object  of  his  pursuit  gave  wings  to  time, 
and  made  years  fly  as  days.  Again,  a  man  is  deep  in  debt,  and 
the  object  he  has  before  him  is,  to  "  owe  no  man  anything," — 
to  be  able  to  look  every  man  boldly  in  the  face.  To  accomplish 
this,  what  sacrifices  will  he  not  make, —  what  labor  and  toil  will 
he  not  endure  ?  The  deep  interest  he  feels  in  the  attainment  of 
his  object  calls  him  to  toil  ere  the  sun  has  yet  risen ;  hurries 
him  on  through  the  whirl  of  business ;  braces  his  spirit ;  nerves 
his  arm ;  and  sweetens  all  his  labors. 

The  merchant  is  looking  onward  to  retirement  from  business, 
when,  in  the  calm  evening  of  life,  he  can  sit  down  and  enjoy  his 


THE   STING   OF    DEATH.  121 

neat  little  country  seat;  that  is  the  object  before  him.  The 
interest  he  feels  in  its  attainment  gives  zest  to  his  jaded  spirit, 
and  throws  a  charm  over  what  would  otherwise  be,  from  year  to 
year,  one  dull  scene  of  monotony. 

The  same  principle  actuates  the  warrior  on  the  battle-field. 
His  object  is  military  glory  ;  a  name  in  the  annals  of  fame ;  the 
applause  of  the  brave.  To  accomplish  this,  he  will  bid  adieu  to 
the  loved  scenes  of  home,  the  smiling  babe,  the  heart-broken 
wife.  He  will  brave  the  perils  of  the  deep ;  and,  in  the  face  of 
the  gleaming  spear,  the  murderous  battle-shout,  the  shower  of 
death,  the  roaring  cannon's  mouth,  he  will  rush  to  victory  or  to 
death ;  and  all  to  obtain  the  laurels  of  earthly,  perishing  fame. 
And  were  I  to  say  that  every  real  Christian  in  this  congregation 
was  not  laboring  to  attain  an  object,  your  experience  would  rise 
up  and  contradict  me.  You  have  an  object  before  you,  —  a 
happy  dying  hour  —  rest  after  the  storms  of  life  are  past  —  rest 
now  and  rest  hereafter  —  sweet  rest  in  the  calm  of  heaven  —  a 
crown,  a  brilliant  crown,  a  crown  of  life,  —  "a  crown  of  glory 
that  fadeth  not  away,"  —  heaven !  heaven ! 

**  Where  flesh  and  blood  hath  never  been, 
Where  mortal  eye  hath  never  seen ; 
A  mental  sphere  —  a  flood  of  light ; 
A  sea  of  glory,  dazzling  bright." 

That  is  the  object  before  you;  and,  if  you  would  secure  it,  you 
must  get  rid  of  the  sting  of  death ;  you  must  go  on  to  perfection. 
We  lay  down,  then,  for  our  discussion,  one  proposition,  — 
That,  if  a  happy  and  triumphant  death-bed  be  desirable, 
and  if  a  gloomy  and  miserable  death-bed  is  to  be  depre- 
CATED,   THEN   GO    ON   TO    PERFECTION. 

We  do  not  mean  to  dwell  upon  the  nature  of  Christian  per- 
fection, but  simply  upon  the  results  of  perfection  upon  a  dying 
hour.  How  solemn  is  life's  last  hour !  The  journey  is  ended ; 
the  immortal  candidate  is  on  life's  last  shore.  The  cold  and 
bitter  flood  lies  between  him  and  the  better  land;  and,  from 
thence.  He  has  to  review  all  the  road  along  which  he  has  trav- 
elled. Memory  retouches  all  the  past ;  and,  in  a  few  minutes, 
11 


122  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

he  seems  to  live  the  whole  of  life  over  again.  The  scenes  long 
forgotten  now,  in  his  dying  hour,  gather  around  him  in  vivid 
reality ;  and  to  be  able  to  look  calmly  on  Death,  with  the  dart 
gleaming  in  his  uplifted  hand,  and  not  be  afraid,  is  the  very  per- 
fection of  religion.  Poor  humanity  may,  for  a  moment,  shudder ; 
the  cold  shivering  of  mortality  may  come  over  it ;  but  the  grace 
of  God  can  enable  the  Christian  to  exclaim,  "  To'die  is  gain." 
See  that  sun  setting  in  the  western  sky ;  the  blue  arch  is  cloud- 
less; everything  seems  hushed,  serene,  and  quiet;  nature  bath- 
ing in  his  parting  beams.  O,  how  sublime  the  scene  !  Still 
more  sublime  is  the  sight  of  a  Christian  dying  happy  in  God,  — 
"  Dying  in  brighter  day  to  rise."  There  is  one  piece  of  poetry 
which  beautifully  describes  the  Christian's  happy  close : 

"  Vital  spark  of  heavenly  flame, 
Quit,  oh,  quit  this  mortal  frame  ! 
Trembling,  hoping,  lingering,  flying,  — 
O,  the  pain,  the  bliss,  of  dying  ! 
Cease,  fond  nature,  cease  thy  strife, 
And  let  me  languish  into  life." 

Here  the  soul  seems  to  say  to  the  body,  "We  have  been  com- 
panions long ;  we  have  travelled  together  life's  rough  road ;  but 
now  home  is  in  view.  '  Cease,  fond  nature,  cease  thy  strife ;  * 
let  me  go."  Here  the  soul  is  described  as  hovering  on  the  very 
precincts  of  heaven ;  and,  seeming  to  hear  the  rustling  of  the 
wings  of  the  ministering  spirits,  it  cries,  — 

"  Hark!  they  whisper:  angels  say, 
Sister  spirit,  come  away  ! 
What  is  this  absorbs  me  quite. 
Steals  my  senses,  shuts  my  sight, 
Drowns  my  spirits,  draws  my  breath,  — 
Tell  me,  my  soul,  can  this  be  death? 

"  The  world  recedes  ;  it  disappears. 
Heaven  opens  on  my  eyes  ;  my  ears 
With  sounds  seraphic  ring  !  " 

The  spirit  has  now  launched  into  eternity ;  it  has  commenced 
its  upward  flight;  the  earth,  like  a  little  dark  spot,  grows  less 


THE    STIiNG    OF    DEATH.  123 

and  less ;  heaven  opens  upon  the  vision ;  the  new  Jerusalem  is 
now  in  sight ;  the  pearly  gates,  the  jasper  walls,  the  angelic 
watchmen,  all  flaming  with  the  glory  of  God,  are  seen  floating 
far  away  in  the  blue  ether  piled  against  the  light.  Now  the 
heavenly  music — music  sweeter  than  any  the  earth  can  pro- 
duce —  bursts  upon  the  ear ;  now  she  wants  to  speed  her  flight ; 
she  exclaims, 

''Lend,  lend  your  wings  ;  I  mount,  I  fly! 
O  grave  !  where  is  thy  rictory  ? 
O  death  !  where  is  thy  sting?  " 

"Were  I  to  repeat  this  over  again,  there  is  not  a  gentleman 
here,  however  refined  in  his  taste,  but  would  say,  "Ah, that  is 
beautiful  poetry ;  that  will  live  as  long  as  the  English  language 
shall  last."  "  But,"  says  one,  "  it  is  poetry,  after  all;  — I  like 
sober  prose  and  sound  doctrine."  I  have  seen  people  die,  but 
never  like  that;  I  have  seen  the  glazed  eyes,  the  blanched 
cheek,  the  withered  face ;  I  have  heard  the  death-rattle  gurgle 
in  the  throat,  and  have  seen  the  sinking  of  the  frame  into  the 
quiet  of  death,  and  something  like  a  faint  smile  flitting  over  the 
countenance  ;  but  never  have  I  found  anything  like  that  described 
in  the  poetry  just  quoted.  To  show  you  that  the  matchless'' 
poetry  above  does  not  go  beyond  the  truth  that  a  holy  Christian 
can  die  happy,  I  will  refer  you  to  one  fact.  When  looking  over 
my  papers,  I  found  an  account  written  eight  or  nine  years  ago ; 
the  source  whence  I  obtained  it  gave  me  the  fullest  assurance 
of  its  truth.  An  infidel's  son,  many  miles  distant  from  his 
father's  house,  heard  of  the  illness  of  his  mother,  and  hastened 
home.  The  sun  was  just  rising  over  his  native  hills,  when  he 
alighted  in  front  of  his  father's  mansion ;  his  sister  flew  towards 
him,  pressed  him  to  her  heart,  and  led  the  way  to  the  sick-room 
of  his  mother.  The  youn^  infidel  stepped  forward  to  the  bed  ; 
she  seemed  dozing,  but  pale  and  emaciated.  He  almost  con- 
cluded her  dead,  till  a  sweet  smile  played  upon  her  countenance. 
Her  lips  moved  ;  he  leaned  over,  and  heard  her  say,  "  I  come  ! 
I  come  !  "  opening  her  eyes  gently.  "  O,  I  thought  I  was  going." 
"  Where,  mother  ?  "  he  whispered.     (She  had  not  recognized 


124  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

him,  but  supposed  it  was  his  sister.)  "  Hark !  "  she  said,  and  he 
instinctively  leaned  forwards  — 

"  Hark!  they  whisper:  angels  say, 
Sister  spirit,  come  away!" 

"  I  come  to  join  your  everlasting  songs !  "  Again  he  heard  his 
mother's  voice,  nor  could  he  resist  the  attractive  sound,  but  was 
there  in  time  to  hear,  — 

"  Then  shall  I  see,  and  hear,  and  know. 
All  I  desired  and  wished  below." 

Overcome  by  his  feelings,  he  left  the  room  for  a  time.  On 
returning,  his  mother,  who  had  been  made  acquainted  with  his 
arrival,  received  him  with  a  cheerful  smile,  and  said,  —  "  One 
thing  more  I  desired  of  the  Lord,  and  he  hath  given  me  the 
desire  of  my  heart." 

The  awful  hour  of  dissolution  had  come ;  and,  after  receiving 
the  whole  of  her  family  around  her  bed,  her  last  advice  and 
parting  blessing  were  then  given,  beginning  with  the  youngest, 
and  speaking  to  them  one  by  one,  till  she  came  to  the  eldest  — 
the  infidel.  Tears,  which  he  tried  in  vain  to  repress,  gushed 
from  his  eyes,  as  he  thought  to  himself,  —  "  My  mother  thinks 
mine  a  hopeless  case,  and  desires  to  leave  me  to  pursue  my 
chosen  path  to  ruin."  Again  he  endeavored  to  choke  his  emo- 
tions ;  but  tears  and  the  inward  monitor  suggested, 

'*  Dost  thou  feel  these  arguments,  Lorenzo  ?" 

He  arose  to  leave  the  room ;  but  the  eye,  the  heart,  the  undying 
love,  of  an  expiring  mother  followed  him ;  she  called  him  back, 
and  bade  him  be  seated  by  her  side,  making  some  allusion  to  his 
infideUty.  She  took  him  by  the  hand,  and  said,  "  My  son,  I 
know  you  are  an  infidel ;  I  know  yofi  reject  the  Bible  as  a  reve- 
lation from  God  ;  I  have  watched  with  painful  interest  the  pro- 
gress of  scepticism  in  your  mind ;  I  feel  for  you  all  that  a  mother 
in  my  circumstances  can  feel.  The  icy  chill  of  death  is  now 
creeping  over  my  frame ;  this  is  the  last  effort  of  my  maternal 


THE    STING   OF   DEATH.         .  125 

love.  Time  is  fast  receding,  —  eternity  opening  to  my  view. 
What  I  do  must  be  done  quickly ;  the  grave  is  ready  for  me ;  my 
house  is  set  in  order;  all  my  work  is  done  on  earth,  except  a 
few  parting  words  to  my  first-born.  Let  me  ask  you  one  ques- 
tion, which  I  wish  you  to  answer  to  God  and  your  own  con- 
science, —  Do  you  loish  your  mother  to  die  a  believer  in  the 
dark  creed  of  Voltaire  or  Paine  ?  If  so,  step  forward  with  me  to 
the  tomb,  which,  in  the  light  of  infidelity,  is  as  dark  as  darkness 
itself;  death,  an  eternal  sleep,  the  utter  extinction  of  being; 
this  thinking,  reasoning  mind,  capable  of  so  much  expansion  and 
enjoyment,  must  go  out  like  an  expiring  taper  —  cease  to  exist ! 
There  is  nothing  in  heaven  or  earth  can  give  a  ray  of  light  to  an 
expiring  infidel !  "  It  was  now  the  Holy  Ghost  and  conscience 
applied  the  sentiment  with  power. 

"  Dost  thou  feel  these  arguments,  Lorenzo  ? 
Or  is  there  naught  but  vengeance  can  be  felt  ?  " 

"But,"  she  continued,  "while  life  recedes,  my  hopes  —  my 
hopes  —  my  confidence  in  God  strengthen.  Peace,  like  a  river, 
pours  its  balmy  influence  over  me  ;  eternity  and  immortal  life 
open  on  my  delighted  vision  ;  unutterable  thoughts  of  God  and 
heaven  fill  my  already  expanded  capacities.  I  feel  the  assurance 
that  God  is  my  Father,  Christ  my  Saviour,  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
my  Comforter.  I  shall  soon  have  an  unclouded  vision  of  the 
glory  of  God's  palaces.  All  that  is  now  dark,  or  deep,  or  high,  to 
my  present  limited  capacities,  will  be  then  unfolded  and  under- 
stood ;  nature,  providence  and  grace,  will  be  themes  for  eternal 
research;  the  perfections  and  attributes  of  God  an  endless  intel- 
lectual feast ;  redemption  an  eternal  song.  The  resurrection  has 
rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  sepulchre  and  illumined  the  dark 
enclosure,  —  has  swallowed  up  death  in  victory.  My  Saviour, 
Jesus,  the  friend  of  sinnersf  is  present, —  is  sweet  —  is  s-w-e-e-t. 

^     ^     #     O,  my  son  !  " She  would  have  proceeded,  but 

gasped  for  breath,  and  reclined  upon  the  pillow.     He  called  the 
family,  but  the  precious  mother  had  departed.;   a  smile  of  hope, 
peace  and  joy,  rested  upon  her  features.     His  father  sank  down 
11* 


126  .         REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

upon  the  chair ;  and  the  pious  sister,  with  a  face  beaming  with 
religious  emotion,  gently  closed  her  eyes,  and  all  was  still.  The 
young  man  stood  awe-struck.  He  saw  how  the  religion  oi  the 
Bible  could  support  in  a  dying  hour.  He  felt  himself  a  lost  sin- 
ner, but  discovered  the  Saviour  of  sinners  revealed  in  the  long- 
neglected  Bible ;  he  was  an  infidel  no  longer.  Such  is  the  end 
of  a  holy  Christian.  Still,  it  must  be  confessed  that  multitudes 
within  the  pale  of  the  churches  of  Protestantism, —  yea,  and  even 
within  the  pale  of  the  Methodist  churches,  —  do  not  die  like  this 
—  do  not  honor  either  God  or  religion  much  in  their  deaths.  It 
is  no  good  to  conceal  the  fact ;  there  are  a  great  many  painful, 
gloomy  death-bed  scenes,  —  a  great  number  of  persons  whose  sun 
,sets  under  a  cloud.  A  great  many  professors  of  religion  are  so 
immersed  in  business,  that,  when  suddenly  called  to  die,  instead 
of  passing  full  sail  into  the  heavenly  port,  they  hold  on  to  life 
like  a  poor  wrecked  mariner  to  the  rock  on  which  he  is  cast,  till 
the  last  wave  comes  and  washes  him  off  into  the  ocean. 

The  facts  of  the  death-beds  of  many  professors  are  too  painful 
to  bring  to  light ;  they  are  concealed, — they  are  hushed  up.  You 
must  go  to  a  second  hand  for  the  account  of  their  death ;  their 
friends  draw  a  veil  over  their  closing  hours.  I  wonder  not  at 
their  painful  death ;  they  could  not  bear  in  life  the  searching 
truths  of  God's  word;  and,  if  men  cannot  bear  searching  truth, 
a  strict  examination,  the  scrutiny  of  conscience  in  the  hour  of 
affliction,  how  can  they  do  in  the  swellings  of  Jordan  ? 

"  O,  could  we  make  our  doubts  remove 
Those  gloomy  thoughts  that  rise, 
And  see  the  Canaan  that  we  love, 
With  unbeclouded  eyes  ! 
X  But  tim'rous  mortals  start  and  shrink 

To  cross  this  narrow  sea  ; 
And  linger,  shivering  on  the  brink, 
And  fear  to  launch  away^j' 

The  same  poet,  in  another  place,  says, 

"  O,  what  are  all  my  sufferings  here, 
If,  Lord,  thou  count'st  me  meet  ?  " 

Ah !  it  is  the  want  of  meetness,  the  gloomy  doubts,  the  dread 


THE    STING    OF  DEATH.  127 

uncertainty,  that  makes  life's  last  hour  so  unhappy.  There  she 
lies,  lingering,  shivering  at  the  port,  afraid  to  launch  away. 
There  she  lies,  enduring  the  sting  of  death.  The  heart  is  not 
purified,  sin  is  not  all  gone,  and  sin  arms  death  with  power. 
Never,  till  you  are  holy,  will  you  be  able  to  look  upon  death 
and  not  be  afraid.  Brethren,  heaven  is  a  sanctuary  of  purity ; 
a  sanctuary  guarded  with  all  the  jealousies  of  the  Godhead; 
and,  were  you  to  dare  to  approach  it  without  purity,  fire  would 
break  forth  from  the  throne,  and,  with  holy  indignation,  repel 
your  approach.  To  a  soul  not  purified  from  all  'sin,  death  is 
armed  with  a  sting ;  and,  oh !  how  it  will  harass,  and  goad,  and 
sting  the  soul,  in  the  hour  of  death  !  I  was  once  called  to  visit 
one  of  my  congregation  when  she  w^as  dying.  As  I  entered 
the  room,  she  fastened  her  eyes  upon  me,  and  gave  me  such  a 
look  as  I  shall  never  forget.  She  cried  out,  "  O  !  Mr.  Caughey, 
the  sting  of  death !  death  has  a  sting ! "  Yes,  it  has  a  sting 
that  tortures  the  soul  in  that  awful  hour.  Ah,  that  was  a 
striking  comment  on  this  text.  And  what  is  it  that  gives  a 
sting  to  death  ?  Is  it  not  recollections  of  misimproved  oppor- 
tunities, abused  mercies,  indulged  temptation,  unfruitfulness, 
unfaithfulness  in  the  work  of  God?  Ah,  the  Christian  looks 
back  upon  the  Sodom  he  has  left,  and  onward  to  the  bleak, 
untravelled  eternity  before  him.  Death  is  life's  last  shore ;  and, 
as  he  lingers  there,  his  mind  retraces  the  journey  he  has  trav- 
elled, and  all  that  seemed  faded  and  indistinct  is  retouched  by 
conscience ;  those  things  that  appeared,  amidst  the  bustle  of 
life,  but  trifling,  now  seem  awfully  magnified;  they  are  now 
viewed  in  the  light  of  eternity.  Ah  !  it  is  the  holiness  of  the 
law  by  which  they  are  to  be  judged,  the  purity  of  the  God  with 
w]|om  they  have  to  do,  that  exhibits  those  imperfections  in  their 
true  colors.  Ah  !  it  is  conscience  retouching  the  past,  making 
all  the  little  failings  of  life  gather  around  the  bed  of  death.  It 
is  the  immediate  prospect  of  going,  with  all  these  failings,  to 
meet  a  heart-searching  God.  It  is  a  sight  of  these  things  that 
makes  death-bed  purgatories,  —  death-bed  hells  ! 

How  are  we  to  account  for  these  gloomy  death-bed  scenes 
among  professors  of  religion  ?     I  answer,  — 


128  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

First,  a  want  of  regeneration ;  —  many  of  them  have  never 
been  born  a^ain. 

Secondly,  backsliding.  "I  was  converted,"  says  one;  "I 
could  tell  the  time  and  place  of  my  conversion."  Ah!  but 
you  are  a  backslider  now.  Satan  was  once  an  angel  of  lights 
and  raised  the  high  hallelujahs  of  heaven,  but  he  is  now  a 
devil.  What  comfort  will  it  give  you,  in  a  dying  hour,  to 
remember  you  were  once  a  Christian,  but  that  you  have  cruci- 
fied your  Lord  afresh,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame  ?  This  is 
another  reason  for  these  gloomy  death-beds. 

Thirdly,  remaining  depravity.  I  don't  wish  to  throw  one 
doubt  on  your  minds  in  reference  to  your  friends  who  have 
gone  to  their  graves.  One  says,  "I  have  a  husband  gone;" 
and  another,  "la  wife,"  and  "la  sister,"  "  a  brother,"  "  a  dear 
friend;"  "they  sought  and  found  pardon,  but  we  do  not  know 
that  they  ever  professed  to  find  Christian  perfection ;  and  are 
they  lost?"  I  answer.  No,  no;  I  would  not  lead  you,  for  a 
moment,  to  doubt  their  final  safety  :  but,  ah !  you  do  not  know 
what  they  suffered  in  the  first  week  of  their  affliction.  You 
thought  it  was  bodily  pain  that  gave  them  that  piercing,  shud- 
dering look,  and  wore  them  to  a  skeleton ;  but  it  was  not  that ; 
it  was  sin  stinging  them.  They  did  not  tell  you  what  it  was 
that  gave  them  such  deep  anguish,  and  no  mortal  can  tell  what 
they  endured  in  that  week's  affliction.  If  you  wish  a  calm 
hour  in  the  last  struggle,  your  conscience  must  be  as  clear  as  a 
diamond ;  it  will  then  be  like  a  mirror,  —  it  will  reflect  all  the 
past.  When  passing  by  a  house  the  other  day,  1  saw  a  mirror 
placed  outside  of  the  window ;  another  was  also  placed  inside. 
What,  thought  I,  can  they  want  with  these  mirrors  ?  The  fact 
was,  the  person  sitting  at  the  window,  by  looking  at  the  jfne 
inside^  could  see  all  that  was  passing  on  the  outside.  Ah  !  con- 
science will  be  a  mirror ;  it  will  reflect  the  past ;  it  will  retouch 
life,  and  bring  it  again  into  distinct  view.  In  the  dying  hour, 
conscience  will  look  back;  it  will  force  every  Christian  to 
review  life.  And  what  a  scene  does  it  present !  Where  is  the 
man  that  can  lay  his  hand  upon  his  heart,  and  say,  I  have  kept 
inbred  sin  undei^  during  the  whole  of  my  Christian  life  ?     Can 


THE    STING   OF    DEATH.  129 

you  say,  I  have  never  been  envious  at  the  prosperity  of  another, 
—  never  indulged  in  pride  on  the  ground  of  your  wealth,  stand- 
ing, talents, — never  felt  the  love  of  the  world,  impure  thoughts, 
unholy  desires  ?  Can  you  say,  I  have  been  free  from  the  slight- 
est touch  of  sin  since  I  believed  ?  I  don't  think  one  of  you 
can  say  so  !  The  remains  of  sin  in  the  heart  are  like  powder ; 
and  only  let  a  spark  fall  into  it,  and  there  will  be  an  explosion. 
There  has  been  powder  enough  in  our  hearts,  and  this  world  is 
full  of  sparks. 

One  is  saying,  "  I  contracted  an  unsuitable  marriage ;  I  was 
unequally  yoked,  and  all  has  been  wrong  ever  since."  Another 
is  saying,  "  I  formed  an  improper  connection  in  business."  "  I," 
says  another,  "  fell  —  gave  way  to  bad  tempers,  angry  passions, 
and,  oh !  there  are  a  thousand  witnesses  in  my  own  breast." 
Conscience  bears  witness  loud,  distinct,  and  clear;  but  God  has 
brought  the  wanderer  back — back  to  the  throne  of  grace,  and 
your  language  is, 

"  Though  I  have  most  unfaithful  been 
Of  all  who  e'er  thy  grace  received,  — 
Ten  thousand  times  thy  goodness  seen, 
Ten  thousand  times  thy  goodness  grieved,  — 
Yet,  oh,  the  chief  of  sinners  spare, 
In  honor  of  my  great  High  Priest ! 
Nor  in  thy  righteous  anger  swear 
To  exclude  me  from  thy  people's  rest." 

You  feel  how  true  these  words  are,  —  how  unfaithful  you  have 
been.  If  you  harbor  and  indulge  these  enemies  of  God  in  your 
heart,  what  kind  of  a  death  will  you  have  ?  Ah !  we  know ! 
We  have  seen  your  brethren  die;  we  know  the  whole  race  of 
yoji ;  we  tell  you,  there  is  before  you  a  stormy  Jordan.  What, 
then,  is  to  be  done  ?  The  past  cannot  be  altered.  "  What," 
say  you,  "are  you  aiming  at?"  I  answer,  I  want  you  to  be 
aroused,  to  be  restored,  to  get  this  standing  doubt  removed,  to 
be  washed  again  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  to  get  this  sting  of 
death  taken  away,  to  go  on  to  perfection.  Only  get  this  sting 
removed,  and  your  nature  purified,  and  then  you  will  have  a 
happy  death-bed.     Bless  God,  you  may  start  for  glory,  and 


130  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

never  strike  a  rock !  See !  see !  that  vessel  leaving  the  port  ot 
Liverpool.  She  passes  the  Pier-head ;  she  jostles  her  way 
through  the  crowd  of  shipping  that  obstructs  her  passage ;  she 
clears  every  dangerous  point ;  she  escapes  the  sand-banks  that 
lie  concealed  under  the  waters ;  she  gets  fairly  out  on  the  ocean; 
by  and  by  she  gets  an  overhaul,  and  all 's  right.  Every  inch  of 
canvas  is  now  crowded  on,  and  on  she  bounds  before  the  breeze. 
At  length  the  shout,  "  Land  ahead,"  is  heard ;  she"  heaves  in 
sight  of  port ;  she  reaches  it.  As  the  captain  steps  ashore,  his 
friends  hail  him  with  sparkling  eyes,  "Well,  captain,  what  sort 
of  a  voyage  ?"  "  O,  capital ;  't  is  true,  we  have  had  a  few  tre- 
mendous gales ;  but  we  have  never  split  a  sail,  snapped  a  rope, 
or  lost  a  spar ;  and  here  we  are,  safe  in  harbor  !  "  "  Well,  cap- 
tain, we  congratulate  you  on  your  voyage." 

Glory  to  God !  you  may  yet  get  safe  out  of  harbor,  clear 
every  rock,  and  pass,  full  sail,  into  the  port  of  glory,  amidst  the 
congratulations  of  the  heavenly  host.  "  My  grace  is  sufficient 
for  you ;"  but  this  sting  of  death  has  remained,  and,  conse- 
quently, your  experience  has  been  a  checkered  scene,  sometimes 
up,  sometimes  down.  Now,  I  want  to  take  you  out  of  this 
uncertain  state ;  I  want  you  to  get  this  standing  doubt  removed. 
If  you  want  a  triumphant  and  happy  dying  hour,  then  you  must 
go  on  to  perfection.  I  will  not  stop  to  explain  the  nature  of 
Christian  perfection,  only  to  ask  a  question  or  two.  Are  you  a 
Protestant  ?  Well,  then,  stick  to  your  Bible.  I  tell  you,  there 
are  too  many  creeds  floating  abroad  already ;  I  '11  stick  fast  to 
my  Bible ;  God's  book  is  truth.  Well,  John  says,  speaking  of 
God,  "And  in  him  is  no  sin."  Do  you  believe  that?  "Yes," 
says  one,  "  it  would  be  blasphemy  to  believe  the  opposite  of 
that."  Well,  he  says  again,  in  1  John  3:9,"  Whosoever  is  born 
of  God  doth  not  commit  sin;  for  his  seed  remaineth  in  him,  and 
he  cannot  sin  because  he  is  born  of  God."  Do  you  believe  that? 
"Perfect  love  casteth  out  all  fear;"  but,  ah!  you  have  not 
enjoyed  that.  Your  experience  has  been  a  checkered  scene.  I 
appeal  to  your  secret  experience,  has  it  not  been  of  such  a  char- 
acter? Good  old  Bunyan  describes  purity  of  heart  under  the 
figure  of  the  "Land  of  Beulah."     He  was  a  Calvinist,  and 


THE   STING    OF    DEATH.  131 

thought  it  was  only  in  death  the  soul  could  be  cleansed  from 
sin;  but  Beulah,  however,  was  this  side  of  the  river.  When 
describing  Christian  and  Hopeful  as  entering  the  land  of  Beu- 
lah, he  says,  "  In  this  land  the  sun  shone  night  and  day  ;  they 
were  got  quite  over  the  enchanted  ground,  and  Doubting  Castle 
was  clean  out  of  sight ;  the  very  air  was  sweet  and  pleasant, 
and  they  heard  continually  the  singing  of  birds.  Here  they 
were  in  full  sight  of  the  city  to  which  they  were  going,  and  the 
view  became  more  and  more  distinct  and  clear.  It  was  built 
of  pearls  and  precious  stones,  and  the  streets  thereof  were  pure 
gold.  As  they  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  there  were  orchards, 
and  vineyards,  and  gardens,  and  their  gates  opened  into  the 
highway.  And  now  the  sun  shining  full  upon  the  city,  it 
became  so  extremely  glorious,  that  they  could  not  yet  with  open 
face  behold  it,  for  the  city  was  pure  gold.  As  they  travelled  on, 
they  met  two  men  in  raiment  that  shone  like  gold.  These  men 
asked  the  pilgrims  whence  they  came,  and  what  difficulties, 
dangers,  comforts,  and  pleasures,  they  had  met  with  on  the  way. 
The  men  also  said  to  Christian  and  Hopeful,  '  You  have  but 
two  difficulties  more,  and  you  are  in  the  city.'  Now  I  further 
saw,  that  between  them  and  the  city  there  was  a  river,  and 
there  was  no  bridge  to  go  over,  and  the  river  was  very  deep. 
At  the  sight  of  the  river  the  pilgrims  were  much  stunned,  but 
the  men  said,  '  You  must  go  through,  or  you  cannot  get  at  the 
gate.'  They  then  inquired  if  there  was  no  other  way  to  the 
gate.  *  Yes,'  said  the  men,  '  there  is  a  bridge,  but  only  two, 
since  the  days  of  Adam,  have  been  allowed  to  pass  over  it,  nor 
shall  any  more  till  the  last  trumpet  sounds.'  Christian  began 
to  despond,  and  looked  this  way,  and  that  way,  but  no  way 
appeared  but  through  the  water.  Christian  plunged  in,  and 
went  over  head,  and  began  to  cry  to  Hopeful,  and  say,  '  I  sink 
in  deep  waters ;  thy  billows  go  over  my  head ;  all  thy  waves 
go  over  me.'  Then  said  Hopeful,  '  Be  of  good  cheer,  my 
brother;  I  feel  the  bottom,  and  it  is  good.'  Then  said  Christian, 
'  Ah,  my  friend,  the  sorrows  of  death  compass  me  about,  and  I 
shall  not  see  the  good  land;  and  with  that  a  great  horror  of 
darkness  fell  upon  him,  so  that  he  could  not  see  before  him. 


132  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Hopeful  had  much  trouble  to  keep  his  brother's  head  above  the 
waters ;  yea,  sometimes  he  would  be  quite  gone  down ;  and 
then,  ere  a  while,  he  would  rise  up  again  half  dead.  Hopeful 
said,  '  Brother,  I  see  the  gate,  and  men  standing  by  to  receive 
us;'  but  Christian  would  answer,  ' It  is  you,  it  is  you  they  wait 
for.  Ah,  brother,  for  my  sins  he  hath  brought  me  into  a  snare, 
and  hath  left  me.'  Hopeful  said,  *  Be  of  good  cheer,  —  Jesus 
Christ  maketh  thee  whole ;'  and  with  that  Christian  brake  out 
with  a  loud  voice,  '  0, 1  see  him  again,  and  he  tells  me,  when 
thou  passest  through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee.'  They 
took  courage  and  waded  through ;  and  as  they  landed  on  the 
other  shore,  the  two  shining  ones  awaited  them,  and  conducted 
them  off  to  the  New  Jerusalem." 

If  you  would  have  a  happy  death,  go  on  to  perfection.  A 
holy  Christian  will  have  a  happy  death ;  this  is  the  rule ;  I 
know  there  are  exceptions  to  every  rule,  and  there  are  excep- 
tions to  this.  You  will  remember  the  closing  scenes  of  John 
Smith  and  Walsh ;  their  dying  hours  were  of  a  most  distressing 
character ;  but  I  believe  it  was  not  for  any  sin  that  remained  in 
them,  for  they  had  been  sanctified  for  years ;  they  had  done 
the  devil  a  great  deal  of  harm,  and  no  wonder  that  he  should 
make  a  deadly  onset  upon  them  in  the  last  solemn  conflict. 
These  instances,  however,  are  the  exceptions ;  the  other  is  the 
rule ;  —  a  holy  life  is  followed  by  a  happy  death.  If,  in  your 
course  of  Christian  duty,  you  "  roll  round  with  the  year,  and 
never  stand  still  till  the  Master  appear,"  at  the  even  tide  it  will 
he  light.  If  you  want  to  lay  quarantine  outside  the  port  of 
glory,  like  the  fever  ships,  then  live  without  holiness.  I  know 
God  keeps  some  holy  souls  lying  quarantine  outside  the  port ; 
not,  however,  because  there  is  any  sin  in  them,  but  to  show 
them  to  earth,  heaven,  and  hell.  God  shows  them  to  the  uni- 
verse as  a  proof  of  the  power  of  the  blood  of  the  cross.  See ! 
see !  those  two  vessels  just  heaving  in  sight  of  the  port.  "  Land 
ahead  ! "  shouts  the  man  at  the  look-out;  they  draw  nearer  and 
nearer  shore.  See !  see !  those  two  little  boats  rushing  over 
the  rippling  waves ;  they  are  the  health-boats ;  now  they  haul 
alongside,  —  there,  they  are  drawn  upon  the  deck  of  the  vessel. 


THE   STING   OF    DEATH.  133 

"Well,  captain,  from  what  port?"  "From  the  port  of  Justifi- 
cation. We  got,  however,  our  papers  signed  at  the  port  of  Ho- 
liness," responds  the  captain.  "Any  sick  on  board?"  "No, 
sir;  no,  sir,  —  all  well  and  sound  !  "  Ah!  you  who  have  been  to 
sea,  after  a  long  voyage  ;  you  know  what  it  is  to  lay  quarantine 
forty  days.  "  Well,  captain,"  say  the  health  officers,  "  they  are 
all  in  excellent  trim  —  clean  as  a  pin ;  go  in,  go  in  —  do  as  you 
please  —  the  whole  country  is  before  you."  The  other  vessel 
looms  in  sight;  the  officers  go  on  board.  "What  port  from, 
captain  ? "  "  The  port  of  Justification."  "  Any  sick  aboard  ?  " 
"  Why,  a  few  of  the  passengers  are  not  very  well."  The  offi- 
cers pass  through  the  vessel,  to  see  the  state  of  things.  Here, 
they  fin^  one  stowed  away  in  his  hammock,  with  the  fever  burn- 
ing through  his  veins,  as  though  it  would  devour  him ;  another 
yonder,  sitting  up  in  his  berth,  pale,  wan,  and  emaciated ;  — 
in  fact,  sickness  pervades  the  whole  ship.  "  Well,"  says  the 
captain  to  the  officers,  "  we  have  had  a  long  voyage  and  bad 
weather ;  we  should  be  glad  to  go  in."  "  Nay,  nay,"  say  the 
officers,  "  we  cannot  allow  that  —  we  cannot  go  beyond  our 
commission."  The  captain  says,  "  Well,  you  do  not  mean  to 
turn  us  back,  I  hope? "  "  Turn  you  back !  no,  no  — we  '11  nei- 
ther turn  you  back,  nor  sink  you.  We  never  reject  a  vessel 
from  your  port;  and,  moreover,  you  shall  have  the  best  pro- 
vision the  land  will  afford ;  but  here  you  must  lay  quarantine 
forty  days.  There  's  the  beautiful  country  open  to  your  view, 
and  when  your  sickness  is  gone,  you  shall  enter  it.  Down  with 
your  sails,  and  cast  anchor."  There  she  rides  on  the  tossing 
waves,  while  the  crew  often  go  and  view  from  the  deck  the  good 
land.  Ah !  God  has  to  keep  many  poor  sin-sick  souls  outside 
the  ports  of  glory,  lying  quarantine  forty  days,  like  the  fever 
ships.  There  they  are,  tossing  on  the  billows  of  the  Jordan ; 
and,  as  they  view  the  land  through  the  mist  and  rage  of  the 
foaming  waters,  how  plaintively  they  can  sing, 

"  On  Jordan's  stormy  banks  I  stand, 
And  cast  a  wishful  eye 
To  Canaan's  fair  and  happy  land, 
Where  my  possessions  lie. 
12 


134  EEVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

"O,  the  transporting,  rapturous  scene 
That  rises  to  my  sight ! 
Sweet  fields,  arrayed  in  living  green, 
And  rivers  of  delight. 

"  No  chilling  winds,  no  poisonous  breath, 
Can  reach  that  healthy  shore  ; 
Sickness  and  sorrow,  pain  and  death, 
Are  felt  and  feared  no  more. 

"  When  shall  I  reach  that  happy  place, 

And  be  forever  blest  ? 
When  shall  I  see  my  Father's  face, 
And  in  his  bosom  rest?  " 

They  will  enter  at  last.  And,  oh  !  how  interesting  it  is  to  see 
a  ship,  after  a  long  voyage,  sail  into  port !  See  !  see  that  crowd 
on  the  pier.  A  vessel  is  expected.  "A  sail!  a  sail!"  shoutfe 
one.  Every  eye  is  now  peering  through  the  dim  haze.  There 
she  is,  like  a  speck,  far  off  on  the  ocean.  She  comes  nearer  and 
nearer  —  she  grows  more  and  more  distinct.  Many  hearts  are 
now  beating  high  with  intense  anxiety.  See  that  aged  woman 
in  the  crowd ;  she  presses  now  nearer  to  the  pier  edge  ;  her  eye 
wanders  not.  How  fixed  that  look  !  —  how  intense  that  gaze  ! 
Her  whole  soul  is  in  her  countenance.  The  little  speck  grows 
larger  and  larger  to  her  view.  "  Yes,"  says  she,  "  't  is  the  ves- 
sel. There  —  the  sailors  are  now  pacing  the  deck.  I  see  hirn. 
'T  is  he  —  't  is  he —  't  is  my  son.  I  had  given  him  up  for  lost ; 
but  here  he  comes  —  he  comes  once  more  !  Blessed  be  thou,  oh 
God  of  Israel,  who  doeth  all  things  well."  Now,  as  the  sight 
of  home  opens  upon  the  view  of  the  sailors,  their  hearts  swell 
with  joy.  "  Home  !  home !  sweet  home ! "  shout  the  crew. 
"  Welcome !  welcome  !  tempest-tossed  mariners,  again  to  our 
shores !  "  respond  the  crowd.  On  a  spring  tide,  before  a  fine 
breeze,  amidst  smiles,  tears,  and  loud  acclamations  of  joy,  they 
pass  full  sail  into  the  harbor.  Faintly,  indeed,  does  this  shadow 
forth  the  scene  witnessed  when  a  soul  is  entering  heaven  — 
when  it  passes /m/Z  sail  into  the  port  of  glory. 

•'  Christian,  behold!  the  land  is  nearing, 
Where  the  wild  sea  storm's  rage  is  o'er  ; 
Hark !  how  the  heavenly  hosts  are  cheering  ; 
See  in  what  throngs  they  range  the  shore. 


THE    STING   OF    DEATH.  135 

"  Cheer  up  !  cheer  up  !  the  day  breaks  o'er  thee, 
Bright  as  the  summer's  noon-tide  ray  ; 
The  star-gemmed  crowns,  and  realms  of  glory, 
Invite  thy  happy  soul  away. 

"  Away  !  away  !  leave  all  for  glory  ; 
Thy  name  is  graven  on  the  throne,  — 
Thy  home  is  in  those  realms  of  glory 
Where  thy  Redeemer  now  is  gone." 

Go  on  to  perfection ;  and  may  you  all  at  last  be  enabled  to 
shout,  "  Victory,  victory,  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb !  " 


SERMON  X. 

A    CALL   TO   DECISION. 

How  long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions  ?  —  1  Kings  18 :  21. 

If  there  be  a  God  who  is  almighty,  and  therefore  is  able  to 
save  or  destroy ;  who,  by  one  volition  of  his  will,  can  raise  you 
up  to  heaven,  or  sink  you  down  to  the  depths  of  hell ;  who  is 
infinite  in  wisdom,  and  therefore  intimately  acquainted  with  your 
whole  histoiy ;  whose  eye  has  marked  every  movement  in  your 
eventful  course ;  whose  angel  reporter  has  recorded  in  the  reg- 
ister-book of  heaven  every  moral  action  of  your  life ;  who  is  a 
God  of  justice,  and  will,  therefore,  one  day  call  you  up  to  the 
great  universal  tribunal,  and  award  to  you  according  as  your 
works  have  been ;  who  is  full  of  mercy,  and  therefore  v/ill  cast 
out  none  that  come  to  him ;  whose  favor  is  life,  whose  smile  is 
heaven,  whose  frown  is  hell ;  —  if  there  be  such  a  God,  and  if 
the  giving  your  heart  fully  to  him  would  secure  to  you  honor, 
immortality,  eternal  life,  and  a  position  of  equality  with  the 
angels,  why  halt  between  two  opinions  ? 

If  there  be  a  hell,  —  a  place  where  no  good  will  ever  come  ; 
where  all  evil  will  be  concentrated ;  where  the  fire  will  burn,  the 
darkness  affright,  the  chains  bind,  the  deathless  worm  rankle; 
where,  overhead  and  all  around,  wind  will  war  with  wind,  light- 
ning flash  to  lightning,  storm  howl  to  storm,  and  thunder  mutter 
to  thunder,  in  sounds  of  sullen  wrath ;  where  "  fiery  waves  will 
dash  against  the  rocks  of  dark  damnation,  and  music  make  of 
melancholy  sort ; "  where  the  unhappy  wretches  will  curse 
themselves,  curse  each  other,  curse  the  earth,  curse  the  resurrec- 
tion morn,  curse  Almighty  God,  and  seek  for  death,  and  find  it 
not ;  where  their  enemy  is  an  aroused  and  angry  God,  the 
instruments  of  their  torture  a  lake  of  fire  'and  a,  guilty  con- 


A    CALL    TO    DECISION.  137 

science,  their  tormentors  the  devil  and  his  angels,  and  ETER- 
NITY stamped  upon  the  whole  ;  —  if  there  be  such  a  world  before 
you,  and  if  your  course  leads  directly  to  it,  why  halt  between 
two  opinions,  whether  you  will  escape  it  or  not  ?  If  there  be  a 
heaven  — 

" a  land  of  pure  delight, 


Where  saints  immortal  reign  ; 
Infinite  day  excludes  the  night, 
And  pleasures  banish  pain  ; 

"Where  everlasting  spring  abides, 
And  never-withering  flowers  ; 
Death,  like  a  narrow  sea,  divides 
That  heavenly  land  from  ours  ;" 

A  heaven  where  you  will  wear  the  robe,  wave  the  palm,  occupy 
the  mansion,  sit  upon  the  throne,  join  in  the  everlasting  song; 
where  no  wish  will  be  left  unsatisfied,  and  where  hope  will  have 
realized  her  brightest  visions  ;  —  if  there  be  such  a  heaven  offered, 
why  halt  between  two  opinions,  as  to  whether  you  will  accept  it 
or  not?  But  if  there  be  none,  —  no  GOD,  no  HEAVEN,  no 
HELL;  if  you  can  disprove  their  existence;  if  you  can  affirm 
that  you  have  travelled  through  the  vast  circuit  of  the  universe, 
that  you  could  find  no  print  of  the  footsteps  of  the  Deity ;  that 
you  heard  no  sound  of  his  voice;  that  everything  came  by 
chance  ;  or  that  some  creature  first  made  himself,  and  every 
world  that  rolls  in  space,  with  all  the  myriads  of  men  and  angels 
that  people  earth  and  heaven ;  that  there  is  no  heaven  or  hell ; 
that  you  have  searched  every  planet,  every  nook  and  corner  in 
space ;  that  you  have  wandered  through  the  universal  temple, 
and  that  there  is  no  trace  of  a  world  of  bliss  or  woe  ;  —  further : 
if  you  are  prepared  to  prove  the  Bible  to  be  a  lie  ;  that  all  the  evi- 
dence from  prophecy,  from  the  long  chain  of  miracles,  from  the 
harmony  of  the  Scriptures,  from  the  millions  of  dying-bed  testi- 
monies, from  the  united  voice  of  the  great  army  of  martyrs,  who 
hailed  dungeons,  prisons,  racks,  stakes,  wild  beasts,  and  the  loss 
of  life,  rather  than  give  up  or  deny  the  precious  Bible,  wnth  all 
the  grand  effects  the  Bible  has  produced  in  the  world  ;  —  if  you 
are  prepared  to  prove  that  all  these  sources  of  evidence  are 
12* 


138  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

mere  delusions,  mere  priestcraft,  still  we  ask,  on  this  supposition, 
why  halt  between  two  opinions  ?  If  these  things  be  so,  then 
reject  Christianity ;  spurn  religion ;  convert  your  chapels  into 
warehouses,  and  send  your  ministers  home  to  some  other  call- 
ing ;  erect  a  monument  to  the  triumph  of  infidelity  ;  stand  upon 
the  tomb  of  Christianity,  and  shout,  Hail,  thou  profoundest  hell! 
and  revel  in  the  thought  that  there  is  no  heaven  to  close  against 
you,  no  hell  to  burn  you,  no  God  to  condemn  you  ;  —  but,  if  there 
be  a  God,  and  Christianity  be  true,  then,  we  ask,  how  long  halt 
ye  between  two  opinions  ?  Notwithstanding  all  the  efforts  infi- 
dels make  to  bolster  themselves  up  in  their  creed,  the  truth  of 
God  will  get  into  their  minds ;  and  when  once  the  truth  of  God 
has  got  into  the  soul  of  man,  it  can  never  be  got  out  again. 
There  are  just  two  things  we  wish  to  say  about  infidel  no- 
tions. 

First,  they  can  gain  nothing  by  them.  If  Christianity  be 
false,  you  gain  nothing;  you  then  have  the  consolation  of 
taking  a  leap  in  the  dark,  —  to  launch  forth  on  the  boundless 
eternity,  not  knowing  whether  an  angel  or  a  devil  will  meet  you 
at  your  entrance. 

Secondly,  you  are  in  danger  of  losing  everything.  Should 
Christianity  prove  true,  you  are  lost  forever  !  How  long,  then, 
halt  ye  between  two  opinions  ? 

■  1.  What  are  we  to  understand  by  halting  between  two 
opinions  ? 

Literally,  how  long  hop  ye  about  on  two  boughs  ?  This  is 
a  metaphor  taken  from  birds  hopping  about  from  bough  to 
bough,  not  knowing  on  which  to  settle  —  balanced  between 
opposing  claims.  To  halt  is  to  stop  —  to  hesitate  between  oppo- 
site interests.  Paul  was  balanced  between  a  life  of  usefulness 
on  earth,  and  a  life  of  enjoyment  in  heaven.  The  people,  in 
the  days  of  Elijah,  were  balanced  between  the  worship  of  an 
idol  and  the  worship  of  the  God  of  heaven.  Multitudes  in  our 
day  are  balanced  between  heaven  and  hell ;  two  contrary  influ- 
ences acting  upon  them,  as  though  God,  and  heaven,  and  holy 


A    CALL    TO    DECISION.  139 

beings,  were  pulling  one  way,  and  the  fiends  of  darkness  and 
hell  pulling  the  other.     They  halt  between  the  two  claims. 

At  an  early  period  I  made  choice  of  religion,  and  cast  my  lot 
in  among  the  Methodists  ;  and  I  have  not  been  hopping  about 
from  one  opinion  to  another  since.  I  considered  well  the  mat- 
ter, and  fixed  my  choice  ;  and  I  praise  God  for  settled  religious 
opinions  and  principles.  I  look*  upon  it  to  be  very  important  to 
have  my  mind  fixed.  Let  me  be  a  wanderer  over  this  planet, 
—  let  fne  sail  over  the  ocean,  or  range  through  every  clime, — 
but  let  me  have  settled  religious  principles.  My  heart  is  fixed, 
oh  God !  my  heart  is  fixed.  But  there  are  thousands  just  in  the 
state  of  the  people  described  in  the  text.  Let  us  ascend  Mount 
Carmel,  for  a  moment,  and  witness  the  great  controversy.  See 
that  dense  crowd  upon  the  mount !  The  claims  of  idolatry,  the 
old  religion  of  the  country,  are  set  forth  by  the  priest ;  the 
claims  of  God,  who  had  brought  them  out  of  Egypt,  —  who 
had  wrought  wonders  in  their  behalf :  and  the  people  halt  be- 
tween the  two  claims.  See !  there  rushes  in  among  them  the 
venerable  old  prophet,  and  says,  "  How  long  halt  ye  between 
two  opinions  ?  If  the  Lord  be  God,  follow  Him ;  if  Baal,  then 
follow  him.  And  the  people  answered  him  not  a  word.  Elijah 
proposes  a  method  to  determine  this  great  controversy.  He  pro- 
poses that  two  altars  shall  be  built,  and  the  sacrifices  laid  on  the 
altars.  Listen  to  Elijah's  proposals  to  the  prophets  of  Baal. 
"Call  you  upon  the  name  of  your  gods,  and  I  will  call  upon 
the  name  of  the  Lord ;  and  the  god  that  answers  by  fire,  let 
him  be  God."  The  priests  set  to  work :  the  altar  is  erected,  and 
the  sacrifice  laid  on.  There  are  the  whole  crowd  of  the  priests 
of  Baal  standing  around  the  altar,  and  Elijah  stands  alone  for 
the  living  God.  Hark !  how  loud  the  priests  are  calling  upon 
their  god,  — "  O,  Baal,  hear  us!"  See  how  frantically  they 
leap  upon  the  altar,  —  how  they  cut  themselves,  supposing  this 
will  propitiate  their  god  !  The  very  blood  gushes  out  upon 
them ;  but  no  god  answers,  no  voice  replies,  nor  any  one  regards 
them.  Listen  to  the  sarcasm  of  Elijah  :  —  "Cry  aloud,  for  he 
is  a  god ;  either  he  is  talking,  or  he  is  pursuing,  or  peradventure 
he  sleepeth,  and  must  be  awakened."     Hark !  their  shouts  rend 


140  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

the  very  air.  Now  see  Elijah  standing  beside  the  altar.  The. 
sacrifice  is  prepared;  the  water  poured  on,  to  prevent  delusion. 
See  with  what  dignity  he  acts, —  what  majesty  about  his  whole 
bearing.  Listen  to  his  addresses  to  God  :  "  Lord  God  of  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Israel,  let  it  be  knoWn  this  day  that  thou  art 
God  in  Israel,  and  that  I  am  thy  servant.  Hear  me,  oh  Lord ! 
hear  me,  that  this  people  may  know  that  thou  art  the  Lord  God." 
See !  there  the  fire  of  the  Lord  falls  and  consumes  the  sacrifice 

—  the  wood,  the  stones,  the  dust,  and  the  very  water  in  the 
trench.  All  the  people  see  it,  and  fall  upon  their  faces  and  cry, 
"The  Lord  he  is  God,  the  Lord  he  is  God  !  "  The  great  con- 
troversy is  ended,  and  the  people  decide  for  God. 

Again  and  again  has  all  the  convincing  evidence  of  religion 
been  brought  before  your  mind,  and  you  have  been  almost  per- 
suaded to  be  a  Christian  ;  but  you  have  halted.  Your  under- 
standing and  conscience  have  been  on  the  side  of  heaven,  but 
your  will  and  affections  have  been  on  the  side  of  the  world  and 
sin.  In  the  chapel  you  have  been  serious  and  given  promise 
of  amendment,  but  among  the  world  you  laugh  as  loud  as  any. 
You  have  trimmed  between  the  two ;  you  have  tried  to  serve 
both  God  and  Mammon;  and,  when  convinced  of  the  impossi- 
bility of  that,  you  halt. 

You  have  sometimes  entered  the  house  of  God,  and  while  the 
ministers  have  reasoned  of  a  judgment  to  come,  you  have  trembled, 

—  and  you  have  seen,  after  all,  that  religion  is  the  best  thing. 
When  the  minister  led  you  around  the  edge  of  the  pit  of  fire, 
and  you  listened  to  the  wail  of  the  damned,  and  then  led  you 
up  around  the  mount  of  glory  to  hear  the  song  of  the  blessed, — 
especially  as  you  were  made  to  stand  on  the  hill  of  Calvary,  and 
to  view  the  agonies  of  the  dying  Saviour,  and  as  you  thought 
"that  is  for  me,"  —  you  almost  fell  down  before  the  cross,  and 
yielded  your  heart  to  God ;  but  the  world  had  its  spell  around 
you,  and  you  halted. 

"Ah!"  says  another,  "you  have  not  described  my  case.  I 
have  attended  the  house  of  God,  it  is  true,  but  I  never  felt  much 
under  the  word.  It  seems  as  though  the  infernal  fiends  had 
ranged  themselves  around  me  in  the  house  of  God,  and  sue- 


A    CALL    TO    DECISION.  141 

ceeded  in  picking  out  of  my  heart  every  seed  of  the  kingdom ; 
but  I  felt  —  deeply  felt.  I  could  take  you  to  yonder  room,  where 
my  dear  mother  breathed  her  last.  While  I  listened  to  her 
dying  charge,  ah  !  what  were  my  feelings,  my  vows,  my  res- 
olutions ?  Her  language,  her  looks,  her  all,  were  so  heavenly. 
Her  last  words  were, '  Will  you  meet  me  in  heaven  ? '  I  sobbed 
out,  'I  will  try.'  But  my  companions,  the  card-table,  the  the- 
atre, rose  up  again  to  my  view,  and  I  halted  between  the  two 
opinions." 

But  there  is  another  here,  who  never  felt  much  under  the  i^-or^?, 
and  who  has  never  had  the  warning  of  a  dying  mother.  Still, 
you  have  had  feelings  of  deep  anxiety.  "  Yes,"  say  you,  "  there 
is  one  passage  in  my  life,  —  one  page  in  my  history,  —  that  I 
shall  never  forget.  I  will  take  you  back  in  thought  to  the  spot. 
It  was  in  a  room  where  I  had  spent  most  of  the  nights  of  my 
life  in  the  bosom  of  my  family.  Everything  was  neat  and 
clean  around  me  —  every  earthly  comfort  given  to  me.  My  sis- 
ters and  mother  watched  over  me  with  a  tenderness,  a  kindness, 
I  shall  never  forget.  How  quiet  were  even  their  footsteps,  lest 
they  should  pain  me  !  How  did  they  soften  my  pillow,  and  wipe 
the  cold,  clammy  sweats,  as  they  gathered  on  my  marble  fore- 
head !  The  fever  raged  through  my  veins ;  the  world,  and  all 
the  gay  scenes  I  had  formerly  followed,  now  seemed  utter  van- 
ity ;  and  there  stood  out  distinctly  and  near  at  hand,  just  ready 
to  gleam  out  upon  me,  all  the  burning  realities  of  eternity,  in 
all  their  majesty  and  solemn  grandeur.  I  prayed  —  I  wept  — 
I  resolved  to  turn  to  God.  I  sent  for  Christians  to  talk  and 
pray  with  me.  Prayer  —  earnest  praj^er — was  offered  up  for 
me.  My  life  was  given  back ;  I  returned  to  health ;  but  my 
impressions  were  like  marks  on  the  sand  —  the  next  wave  of 
ungodliness  washed  them  all  away.  Now,  there  were  before  me 
two  great  distinct  objects.     On  the  one  side,  religion  —  heaven 

—  eternal  life  ;  on  the  other,  the  ball  —  the  dance  —  the  wine 

—  the  giddy  circles  of  fashion  —  the  path  of  worldly  fame ; 
and  I  halted  between  the  two  opinions." 

"Ah  !  "  says  another,  "you  have  described  the  characters  of 
others,  but  you  have  not  described  mine.     O,  sir,  I  too  had  no 


142  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

dying  mother's  warning,  and  I  never  had  been  much  afflicted ; 
but  there  is  one  scene  I  witnessed  in  my  life  which  has  ever 
since  haunted  me  like  a  horrid  nightmare.  It  was  the  death- 
bed scene  of  an  unsaved  sinner.  Ah !  the  scene  is  too  horrible 
to  call  to  mind.  There  he  lay  tossing  in  agony.  The  summer's 
sun  had  gilded  every  season  of  his  life ;  but  now  the  rigor  of  win- 
ter was  upon  him.  He  was  on  life's  last  shore  —  on  the  very 
edge  of  the  unseen  world.  His  frame  was  bathed  in  the  sweats 
of  death  ;  his  eyeballs  rolled  with  wild  affright ;  despair  seemed 
indented  in  his  very  cheeks ;  his  cries  for  mercy  were  enough  to 
pierce  a  demon's  heart.  He  looked  for  a  moment  onward  with  a 
fixed  gaze ;  he  seemed  to  see  the  shroud,  the  winding-sheet,  the 
coffin,  the  yawning  noisome  grave,  the  tormentors  waiting  to 
receive  him ;  the  closed  gates  of  the  celestial  city,  the  flaming 
judgment,  the  open  books,  the  great  big  fires  of  hell  flaring  up  in 
the  distance ;  —  he  shrunk  back,  and  said,  '  I  cannot  face  it  —  I 
dare  not  die.'  Still,  life  ebbed  out,  and  the  space  between  him 
and  eternity  lessened  every  moment.  For  a  time,  reason  reeled 
under  the  prospects,  and  oh,  what  were  the  horrid  ravings  of  his 
mind! 

"  On  life's  dread  verge  there  he  lay.  At  length  the  fatal  mo- 
ment came;  —  with  a  groan,  a  shuddering  groan,  he  passed 
away  to  meet  his  God ;  but  his  piercing  cries  for  mercy,  the 
language  he  uttered  about  fiends  of  hell  gathering  around  his 
bed,  and  the  sights  he  saw  in  the  distance,  the  fierce  glance  of 
his  eye,  the  despair  depicted  in  his  countenance,  all  seems  dis- 
tinctly to  linger  in  my  mind.  His  awful  death  was  hushed  up 
as  much  as  possible.  I  attended  his  funeral;  but,  ah!  what 
were  my  thoughts  as  the  dirt  rumbled  upon  his  coffin,  as  the 
grave  was  closing  in  upon  his  body,  and  the  melancholy  toll  of 
the  bell  was  dying  away  upon  my  ear  ?  I  thought,  perhaps  the 
fiery  waves  of  hell  are  closing  over  his  spirit,  and  the  devils 
singing  the  dirge  over  the  funeral  of  hisjost  soul.  As  I  wit- 
nessed that  scene,  what  did  I  then  promise  —  how  did  I  then 
pray  !  But  I  mingled  with  my  old  associates,  and  was  laughed  at 
for  my  seriousness.     I  saw,  then,  that  I  must  be  one  thing  or 


A    CALL    TO    DECISION.  143 

the  Other,  —  that  I  must  give  up  my  companions,  or  give  up  all 
thoughts  of  religion,  —  and  I  halted  between  the  two  opinions." 

And  here  you  are  halting  still !  How  long  halt  ye  ?  The 
interests  of  your  undying  spirit  cry,  Decide;  fleeting  time  calls 
upon  you  to  decide  ;  the  tragic  scenes  of  Calvary,  as  it  rocks  the 
slumbering  universe,  cry.  Decide  ;  a  voice  comes  down  from  the 
upper  sanctuary,  and  says.  Decide  ;  the  muffled  groans  of  mil- 
lions of  damned  souls  cry  to  you.  Decide.  You  may  refuse ; 
you  may  for  a  while  stifle  conscience,  and  charm  it  to  sleep; 
but,  by  and  by,  "  like  a  serpent  which  has  coiled  itself  around 
your  heart,  it  will  start  up  and  twine  itself  around  your  shriek- 
ing soul,  and  there  hiss,  and  sting,  and  madden  you  throughout 
eternity;  and  when,  writhing  in  excruciating  torture,  from  the 
unceasing  gnawings  of  this  undying  worm,  you  cry  out,  in  intol- 
erable anguish,  oh !  shall  I  never  have  rest  from  this  insupport- 
able weight  of  woe  ?  conscience,  lifting  up  the  awful  voice  you 
had  so  long  silenced,  will  cry  out,  'Never  I  and  memory,  glancing 
back  at  all  your  guilt,  will  echo  the  dismal  sound.  Never  ;  and 
a  voice  more  terrible  still  will  break  through  the  dreadful  dark- 
ness that  is  all  around,  —  the  voice  of  an  angry  God,  —  exclaim- 
ing, NEVER— NEVER  !  " 

II.  What  are  the  causes  of  this  halting  ? 

1.  The  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  the  mind.  This  may 
seem  strange,  but  we  think  it  will  be  evident  to  you.  The 
Spirit  of  God  is  not  directly,  but  indirectly,  the  cause.  He  pro- 
duces such  eflTects  on  the  head  and  heart,  by  the  doctrines  of  the 
Bible,  that  the  sinner  is  made  to  see  his  position,  to  see  the 
awful  future,  to  see  the  consequences  of  moving  on  in  that  direc- 
tion, to  see  hell  at  the  end  of  the  path.  He  halts,  stops  to  ponder 
whether  to  go  backward  or  forward.  I  once  heard  a  backslider, 
who  had  deeply  fallen,  say,  "  I  have  a  father  and  a  sister  in 
heaven ;  and  my  father's  advice,  and  my  sister's  death-bed,  I 
shall  never  forget.  Also,  the  truth  of  God  often  flashes  across 
my  mind,  and  I  think  if  I  pursue  the  course  I  am  now  in,  my 
death  will  be  a  frightful  one.  If  I  am  not  left  then  in  a  state  of 
delirium  or  deep  delusion,  my  end  will  present  a  horrible  scene." 


144  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

That  was  the  confession  of  a  backslider,  who  was  trying  to 
shield  himself  under  the  principles  of  infidelity  ;  and  that  is  but 
a  fair  specimen  of  the  experience  of  thousands  of  sinners  who 
are  thronging  the  path  of  hell.  We  look  upon  the  arousings  of 
conscience  in  this  man  as  the  Spirit's  work,  stopping  the  sinner 
for  a  moment,  at  least, — making  him  halt  on  his  path  to  per- 
dition. 

Man  is  a  free  agent.  "  What  is  that  ?  "  says  one.  I  answer, 
he  has  a  power  to  choose  or  reject.  There  is  a  consciousness 
within  you  that  you  possess  this  power,  and  all  the  reasoning  in 
the  world  cannot  make  a  thing  more  clear  to  you  than  conscious- 
ness. You  know  that  without  holiness  no  man  can  see  God. 
You  know  that  Jesus  hath  died  for  you,  and  that  by  his  death 
he  hath  removed  every  obstruction  out  of  the  way  of  your  con- 
version. You  know  there  is  now  a  mercy-seat  to  which  you  can 
go  and  find  pardon.  You  know  you  must  go  there,  or  perish. 
The  blessed  Spirit  has  been  pouring  light  into  your  understand- 
ing, refreshing  your  memory,  touching  your  conscience,  gently 
bending  your  will.  He  has  been  trying  thus  to  lead  you  over 
the  line  to  God.  You  have  been  using  the  tremendous  power 
you  possess,  by  halting,  resisting,  fighting  against  God.  You 
know  the  contest  is  unequal ;  and  though  you  put  yourself  in  a 
hostile  attitude  to  the  great  and  dreadful  God,  he  will  conquer 
you.  What  are  2/oM,  to  fight  against  God?  He  can  shake  the 
universe  into  atoms  in  a  moment  of  time,  by  one  single  act  of 
his  great  power.  We  tell  you,  he  will  conquer  you ;  he  will 
put  you  in  the  winding-sheet,  fill  your  mouth  with  clay,  and 
hurl  your  soul  into  hell.  You  see  there  before  you  a  throne  of 
mercy  ;  and  you  feel  conscious  you  can  go  there,  or  stay  away. 
You  can  say,  "  If  there  be  mercy  in  heaven  I  will  find  it,"  or, 
"  Away  with  him,  away  with  him  !  I  will  not  have  this  man  to 
reign  over  me.''  The  great  Spirit,  the  glorifier  of  Christ, 
the  third  person  in  the  trinity,  comes  to  you,  not  to  drag  and 
compel  you  to  be  saved,  but  he  gently  takes  hold  of  your  free 
agency,  and  leads  you  up  to  Calvary  to  view  the  claims  of  a 
dying  Saviour,  and  says,  YIELD,  and  you  know  you  have  the 
power  to  refuse  or  obey.     Ah !  it  is  this  power  that  constitutes 


A    CALL    TO    DECISION.  145 

your  responsibility.  Do  you  still  plead  your  inability  to  accept 
of  mercy  ?  I  ask,  what  is  there  in  this  process  you  cannot  do  ? 
I  dare  say  you  have  a  room,  or  some  place  of  retirement.  Though 
your  Saviour  could  say,  "  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds  of 
the  air  have  nests,  but  the  Son  of  God  hath  not  where  to  lay  his 
head,"  I  doubt  not  but  you  are  in  this  sense  better  off  than  your 
Master.  You  have  legs,  and  with  those  legs  you  could  walk  up 
into  your  room,  and  kneel  down  before  God.  You  have  a  mem- 
ory, and  you  can  allow  that  memory  to  run  back  on  the  years 
gone  by,  and  call  up  the  deeds  of  iniquity  you  have  committed. 
You  have  a  tongue,  and  with  that  tongue  you  can  ask  God,  for 
Christ's  sake,  to  forgive  you.  You  can  say,  "  God  be  merciful 
to  me  a  sinner,"  You  can  do  all  this  ;  and  I  ask,  do  you  think, 
were  you  to  do  so  sincerely,  would  the  blessed  God  repel  you 
from  his  throne  ?  No,  he  will  cast  out  none.  Now,  this  is  just 
what  the  Spirit  of  God  has  been  trying  to  do  with  you.  This  is 
the  point  to  which  he  has  been  trying  to  bring  you  —  to  bring  you 
to  Christ.  But  sometimes  free  agency  turns  rampant,  and  cries, 
"  Away  with  him."  Poor  sinner,  take  hold  of  this  power  which 
the  divine  Spirit  brings  to  you,  and  he  will  not  rest  till  you  are 
a  sinner  saved  by  grace.  This  is  a  most  important  point.  O  ! 
that  we  could  get  sinners  to  use  this  precious  power  —  a  power 
which  has  come  upon  them  in  virtue  of  the  great  atoning  death 
of  Christ !  This  power  is  a  golden  chain  linked  to  the  throne  of 
God,  and  let  down  within  their  reach.  The  sinking  sinner  may 
seize  it,  and  live  forever.  This  power  is  a  ladder,  let  down  from 
heaven  to  earth.  You  may  step  upon  it,  and  ascend  to  glory. 
The  first  round,  at  least,  is  within  your  reach,  close  at  your 
foot.  O,  sinner,  what  mean  you  by  your  mad,  reckless  course, 
—  to  sit  down  and  perish  while  help  is  at  hand?  See!  see! 
that  poor  sailor  has  tumbled  overboard  yonder.  "  All  hands 
ahoy  !  "  shouts  the  watch, — "  a  man  overboard."  There  he  rises 
upon  the  waves,  and  again  he  sinks ;  once  more  he  rises  to  the 
surface,  —  now  they  see  him.  There !  a  rope  is  thrown  out  to 
him ;  but  some  unaccountable  stupor  has  come  over  him, — though 
the  rope  is  within  his  reach,  and  he  may  be  saved  by  laying 
hold  of  it,  yet  there  he  sinks  and  perishes,  while  every  efTort  has 
13 


146  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

been  made  to  save  him.     That,  sinner,  is  just  your  case  — per- 
ishing while  the  golden  chain  swings  by  you. 

"  But  how  may  I  know,"  says  one,  "  that  the  Spirit  is  striving 
to  lead  me  to  decision  ? "  I  answer,  by  two  ways.  By  head 
weights  and  heart  weights.  Firstly,  by  head  weights.  The 
Holy  Ghost  shoots  in  —  shoots  in  light  into  the  sinner's  dark 
soul,  until  the  sinner  makes  tremendous  discoveries.  He  be- 
comes startled,  and  alarmed  for  his  safety.  Deep  troubles  heave 
and  toss  in  his  soul.  "  O,"  says  one,  "  I  have  none  of  those 
troubles."  Stay,  stay !  —  you  had  them  once ;  you  had  them 
until  you  grieved  away  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  now  he  has  left 
you  to  sail  on,  wrapt  up  in  your  own  delusion,  undisturbed,  to 
move  on  right  in  the  direction  of  hell  —  untroubled  —  quiet. 
Ah  !  these  dead  calms  are  only  the  precursors  of  the  storm,  — 
the  stillness  that  precedes  the  violent  concussions  of  the  earth- 
quakes !  These  guilty  calms  will  be  followed  by  the  hurricanes 
of  hell  —  the  eternal  storms  that  will  rage  on  the  lake  that 
burneth  for  ever  and  ever.  Ah !  one  of  the  grandest  events  in 
your  history  would  be  the  return  again  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to 
trouble  you. 

"  Stay,  thou  insulted  Spirit,  stay, 
Nor  take  thine  everlasting  flight." 

Secondly,  heart  weights.  Many  of  you  know  something 
about  these  heart  weights ;  you  have  had  considerable  expe- 
rience in  these  matters  ;  you  have  many  a  time  been  troubled 
by  abstractions  of  mind,  vacancy  of  thought,  secret  uneasiness. 
Sometimes  that  unbidden  tear  has  stolen  down  your  cheeks,  and 
you  could  scarcely  tell  why  - —  some  unaccountaole  alarm  about 
the  future — some  undefined  dread  of  some  all-pervading  spirit 
fixing  a  searching  gaze  upon  you.  Many  a  time  you  wished 
you  had  never  been  born,  or  that  your  station  had  been  fixed 
among  the  harmless  creatures  that  browse  in  the  fields ;  who 
have  no  account  to  render  up  —  no  judgment  day  to  face  —  no 
frowning  God  to  meet  —  no  hell  to  be  terrified  at.  These  heart 
weights  have  spoiled  your  pleasure.  Now,  I  do  not  pretend  to 
be  a  prophet ;  but  it  is  my  solemn  conviction  that  one  of  two 


A    CALL    TO    DECISION.  147 

things  will  happen  to  you  ere  long,  —  either  you  will  be  con- 
verted, or  a  sickness  unto  death  will  come  upon  you.  Trifle 
with  this,  if  you  please,  but  remember  the  words  of  Him  who 
has  said,  "  He  that,  being  often  reproved,  hardeneth  his  neck, 
shall  suddenly  be  destroyed  without  remedy."  Still,  you  refuse 
to  take  hold  of  help  —  to  yield  to  the  Spirit.  What,  we  ask, 
will  be  the  result  ?  See,  see,  yonder  mighty  range  of  moun- 
tains. The  ravines  are  deep  —  the  summits  are  high  and 
craggy.  It  is  the  Alpine  mountains.  The  passage  across  them 
is  one  of  danger,  of  difficulty,  of  peril.  Do  you  see  that  man 
on  the  summit  of  the  first  mountain  there,  casting  a  glance 
across  the  perilous  passage  ?  He  is  about  to  attempt  that  fear- 
ful journey.  See  !  now  his  friends  are  gathering  around  him. 
See  how  earnest  they  are  in  trying  to  dissuade  him  from  his 
determination  ;  but  he  is  resolved  —  nothing  can  shake  his  pur- 
pose. The  sun  is  setting  behind  the  western  mountains  ;  the 
shadows  of  night  deepen  fast  around  him.  All  is  now  night 
—  dark,  dark  night.  Scarcely  a  twinkling  star  is  seen,  to 
relieve  the  profound  gloom.  Part  of  the  road  across  the  Alps 
lies  along  a  trem&ndous  precipice  ;  and  many  of  the. passes  are 
so  narrow,  that  a  single  step  will  plunge  him  into  the  deeps 
below.  See !  a  kind  friend  brings  and  presents  to  him  a  bril- 
liant lamp,  and  entreats  him  to  accept  it  to  light  his  feet  over 
the  fearful  passage ;  but  he  dashes  that  lamp  on  the  earth,  and 
tramples  it  under  his  feet.  He  commences  his  journey;  he 
moves  on  in  the  solemn  gloom,  under  the  shadow  of  the  mighty 
mountain.  Do  you  not  see  him  climbing  his  way  along  the  nar- 
row passes,  as  the  lurid  lightnings  blaze  and  play  around  him  ? 
All  again  is  dark  —  dark  as  the  tomb.  Hark !  hark  I  did  you 
hear  that  fearful  scream,  rising  above  the  wild  moaning  wind  ? 
He  's  over  the  precipice  —  he  's  gone  —  he  's  dashed  in  pieces  ! 
Poor,  halting  sinner,  such  will  be  your  case,  without  the  lamp  of 
life — without  the  Holy  Spirit's  guidance.  Quench  not  the 
Spirit ;  reject  not  the  lamp  that  Heaven  tenders  to  you.  You 
cannot  reach  the  celestial  gate  without  it.  Enemies  lurk  in 
those  passes  that  lie  in  your  road.  The  lion  of  hell  prowls 
about  those  mountains ;  fiends  lie  concealed  in  the  gloom  of 


148  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

your  way.  Take  with  you,  we  entreat  you,  the  lamp ;  spurn 
not  the  heavenly  light.  A  ship,  passing  round  Cape  Horn,  with- 
out a  pilot,  in  the  rigor  of  winter,  when  waves  rise  like  moun- 
tains to  dash  the  vessel  in  pieces,  is  nothing  compared  to  the 
danger  of  attempting  the  passage  to  heaven  without  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Still,  you  halt.  Ah !  the  scream  of  the  man  falling 
over  the  precipice  is  nothing,  compared  with  the  shriek  that 
you  will  utter  as  you  fall  down  from  the  precipice  of  mercy  to 
the  hell  below.     How  long,  then,  halt  ye  between  two  opinions  ? 

III.    You  ARE  UNWILLING  TO  PAY  THE  PRICE. 

That  butcher  and  bookseller  there  must  shut  up  their  shops 
on  the  Lord's  day.  I  tell  you,  you  must  pay  this  price  —  you 
must  shut  up  that  shop  of  yours.  You  sometimes  shed  a  tear, 
and  intend  to  do  better ;  you  sometimes  read  a  chapter  in  the 
Bible,  and  attend  the  preaching  of  the  word.  But  it 's  all  of  no 
use.  Your  coming  to  chapel  is  all  in  vain ;  your  prayers  and 
vows  are  an  abomination  to  God ;  —  and,  unless  you  take  care, 
amidst  your  contributions,  tears,  efforts,  and  prayers,  you  will 
go  down  fo  hell  with  a  lie  in  your  right  hand.  I  tell  you,  God 
would  as  soon  save  the  devil  as  you,  while  you  keep  that  shop 
open  on  a  Sabbath.  You  must  pay  this  price,  or  there  is  no 
salvation  for  you.  I  once  more  deliver  my  solemn  message 
from  God  to  you,  and  I  tell  you,  unless  you  shut  up  your  doors 
on  the  holy  Sabbath,  God  will  soon  shut  your  body  up  in  the 
grave,  and  your  soul  in  the  prison  of  hell. 

Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken,  there  is  a  man  in  this  congre- 
gation living  in  a  state  of  adultery.  The  woman  was  the  weaker 
vessel,  and  you  have  seduced  and  led  her  away  from  the  path  of 
virtue.  It  took  you  a  considerable  time  to  accomplish  your  fear- 
ful task.  Such  was  her  instinctive  clinging  to  the  path  of  vir- 
tue, that  it  required  all  your  stronger  powers  of  mind  and 
fiend-like  craft,  to  gain  your  guilty  purpose.  What  have  you 
done  ?  You  have  acted  the  part  of  the  great  leader  of  hell ; 
you  have  dragged  down  an  angel  from  her  throne  of  virtue  — 
committed  soul  murder.  Blood,  blood,  soul-blood  is  on  your 
conscience ;  it  stains  all  your  garments  ;  it  is  upon  your  hab- 


A    CALL    TO    DECISION.  149 

itation  ;  it  cries  up  to  heaven  against  you  —  vengeance !  ven- 
geance !  !  VENGEANCE  ! ! !  You  have  not  only  done  all 
you  can  to  damn  the  soul  of  an  immortal  being,  but  you  have 
committed  a  great  suicidal  act  on  your  own  undying  spirit. 
You  have  done  what  you  can  to  sink  your  own  soul  into  the 
darkest,  deepest,  hottest  hell  —  where,  if  there  be  a  hotter  fire, 
a  keener  pang,  a  deeper  gulf,  a  louder  scream,  they  will  be 
yours.  0 !  what  a  miserable  path  you  have  already  had  — 
what  twinges  of  conscience  —  what  dread  of  the  future  !  The 
very  fires  of  perdition  seem  at  times  to  break  out  in  your  soul ; 
and  all  this  is  but  the  beginning  of  the  gnawing  of  the  worm 
that  never  dies  —  of  the  fire  that  shall  never  be  quenched.  I 
believe  she  \vill  yet  get  you  into  hell  first.  You  have  been  the 
most  guilty  party.  I  tell  you,  there  is  no  salvation  for  you  till 
you  give  her  up.  "What!  "  says  one,  "are  not  you  a  Metho- 
dist preacher,  and  do  you  mean  to  limit  redemption  ?  You  are 
the  first  Methodist  preacher  I  ever  heard  do  that."  I  am,  1 
am  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  I  do  mean  to  say  the  blood  of 
Christ  won't  reach  your  case,  unless  you  give  up  that  woman. 
You  may  weep,  and  stay  at  the  penitent  meeting,  if  you  like  ; 
but  I  tell  you,  one  of  the  lost  souls  in  perdition  will  as  soon  obtain 
salvation  as  you,  till  you  give  her  up.  O,  my  God  !  rescue  this 
sinner;  snatch  him  from  the  gulf  that  yawns  at  his  feet;  make 
thy  lightnings  flash  around  him ;  roll  forth  thy  seven-fold  thun- 
ders to  break  the  spell  that  binds  him  !  I  ask  you,  man,  will 
you  give  up  that  woman?  —  will  you  give  her  up,  and  be 
saved  ? 

There  is  that  young  man  there.  Ah !  you  have  put  your 
hand  into  your  master's  till,  and  appropriated  to  yourself  what 
was  not  your  own.  You  frequented  the  gambling  table  —  went 
with  pleasure  parties  on  the  Lord's  day  —  kept  up  a  style  of  liv- 
ing beyond  your  income,  and  have  sometimes  been  found  in 
places  scarcely  fit  to  mention  in  a  public  audience.  Your  bills 
have  come  due,  and  you  could  not  meet  them.  You  looked 
round  you,  and  every  resource  failed.  Now  you  were  brought 
to  a  stand  still.  Two  courses  opened  before  you :  either  to 
abandon  your  associates,  give  up  your  engagements,  and  turn 
13^ 


150  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

from  the  paths  that  lead  down  to  the  chambers  of  hell ;  or  do 
an  act  at  which  you  shuddered,  —  an  act  that  would  stamp 
your  character  with  THIEF.  Conscience  rose  up  before  this  deed, 
and  thundered,  and  you  trembled.  There  stood  conscience  with 
her  drawn  sword  right  before  you,  like  the  flaming  cherubim  at 
the  tree  of  life,  and  you  tried  to  bribe  her ;  and  you  said  to  her, 
"I  do  not  mean  to  steal  it;  I  am  not  k  thief;  I  only  borrow  it 
for  a  while ;  "  —  and  then  you  managed  to  put  your  hand  into 
the  till,  and  take  out  five  shillings.  Ah  !  you  remember  that 
first  five  shillings.  You  then  crossed  the  bridge.  That  one  act 
gave  an  impetus  to  you  in  your  path  to  ruin.  You  sunk  even 
in  your  own  estimation,  and  from  that  date  you  entered  on  a 
more  reckless  and  desperate  course.  Ah !  what  a  guilty  wretch 
you  have  since  that  time  proved !  You  have  escaped  detec- 
tion; your  master  looks  upon  you  as  an  honorable  young 
man ;  your  character  stands  fair  with  the  world ;  no  human 
eye  saw  you ;  —  but  God's  angel-reporter  saw  you,  and  recorded 
the  transaction.  And  there  it  stands  in  heaven's  register-book, 
with  date  and  circumstances,  in  all  its  particulars,  in  flaming 
characters  ;  —  there  it  stands,  and  it  rises  up  like  a  great  wall 
of  fire  between  you  and  the  Cross  of  Christ  — between  you  and 
salvation.  God  will  never  forgive  you  till  you  make  restitution. 
You  may  pray  till  doomsday  —  you  may  weep  tears  of  blood  — 
you  may  fast  till  your  body  is  a  skeleton  —  but  the  heavens  will 
be  to  you  like  a  wall  of  brass,  till  you  return  that  money.  Send 
it  back  —  send  it  back  with  interest.  I  ask  you  to-night,  young 
man,  will  you  give  up  that  money  ?  You  see  there  are  just  two 
things  before  you  —  restitution,  or  no  salvation.  O,  sinner, 
give  up  the  money,  and  lay  hold  on  eternal  life  !  Ah !  there 
are  many  others  here  that  have,  in  many  other  ways,  appro- 
priated to  themselves  what  was  not  their  own.  You  must  give 
it  up  —  you  must  give  it  up — you  must  make  restitution,  or 
sacrifice  heaven.  You  cannot  have  them  both.  How  long  halt 
ye  as  to  which  you  shall  choose  ? 

O!  what  has  not  been  done  to  bring  you  to  a  decision? 
The  ministers  of  mercy  have  led  you  up  around  Calvary's 
mount,  and   in  melting   strains   have   cried,  "Immortal   man, 


A    CALL    TO    DECISION.  151 

behold  the  agonies  of  the  Son  of  God !  He  suffered  that  for 
you."  They  have  then  taken  you  up  around  the  celestial  par- 
adise, and  pointed  yo\i  to  its  glories,  its  songs,  its  mansions,  its 
thrones,  and  said,  "  Sinner  !  sinner !  that  is  purchased  for  thee. 
Seize  thy  blood-bought  crown."  They  have  then  conducted  you 
down  around  hell's  yawning  gulf,  and  cried,  "  Behold  its  tor- 
mented captives  !  Gaze  on  its  woes  !  Listen  to  its  shrieks,  its 
howHngs,  its  thunders  !  "  —  and  said, "  Man,  escape  —  escape  for 
thy  life  !  "  The  Father  has  called  —  the  Son  has  pleaded  — 
the  Spirit  has  striven  —  the  ministers  of  God  have  stood  in  the 
temple,  and  cried,  "  Repent ! "  and  reasoned  of  a  judgment  to 
come.  Angels  have  remonstrated,  mercy  besought,  heaven  has 
frowned  and  smiled,  hell  has  roared,  time  has  fled,  death  has 
shaken  his  dart,  and  threatened  to  make  repentance  vain.  In 
your  path  to  death,  the  Cross  rose  up  like  a  flaming  barrier,  and 
to  stop  you,  Jesus  Christ  lay  across  the  road  that  leads  to  hell, 
and  you  have  had  to  stumble  over  the  Cross.  If  you  perish, 
you  must  make  the  Son  of  God  a  stepping-stone  to  a  deeper 
damnation ;  and,  strange  to  say,  you  have  closed  your  eyes,  your 
ears,  to  all  advice,  all  reproof,  and  rushed  on  over  judgment  and 
mercy ;  —  or,  if  you  have  paused  for  a  moment  in  your  do\vn- 
ward  course,  you  have  looked  at  heaven,  and  then  at  sin  and  pleas- 
ure, and  you  have  halted.  Yes,  you  have  halted.  Amidst  the 
cry  of  the  perishing,  the  shouts  of  the  saved,  the  roar  of  the 
enemy,  the  rush  of  time,  you  have  halted.  Now,  we  resolve 
to-night  to  drive  you  to  decision  for  heaven  or  hell.  But,  poor 
sinner,  our  heart  bleeds  over  you  —  why  will  you  die  ?  By  the 
majesty  of  God,  by  the  joys  of  the  sleepless  congregation  of  the 
church  triumphant,  by  your  undying  interest,  by  the  death- 
agonies  of  Jesus,  by  the  groans  of  the  Son  of  God,  by  the  thun- 
ders of  a  dissolving  world,  by  the  wail  of  the  damned,  decide, 
decide  now  for  God ;  or,  if  not  for  God,  then  decide  for  Baal. 
That,  then,  is  your  decision,  is  it  ?  You  have  made  up  your 
mind,  have  you,  to  embrace  the  world  —  to  drink  deep  of  its  cup  ? 
Then  we  give  you  a  little  advice :  Sleep  on  now,  and  take  your 
rest.  You  have  had  no  rest  while  you  have  been  trimming 
between  these  two  opinions ;  your  conscience  has  been  a  rack : 


152  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

thoughts  of  the  future  have  haunted  your  midnight  hours. 
Seek,  now,  what  little  happiness  thou  canst  from  the  world ; 
seek  for  it  in  every  earthly  enjoyment ;  Walk  in  the  ways  of 
thine  heart,  and  in  the  sight  of  thine  eyes ;  gratify  every  pas- 
sion ;  deck  thy  person  with  everything  attractive  in  the  world's 
eye  ^  enter  every  scene  of  amusement ;  select  for  thy  compan- 
ions the  most  jovial  of  the  world;  purchase  every  luxury  of 
life ;  drink  with  the  drunken ;  sing  with  the  loudest ;  never 
enter  the  house  of  God,  or  thy  conscience  will  be  disturbed ; 
forsake  every  means  of  grace,  close  the  Bible,  and  let  the  dust 
thicken  on  its  covers ;  never  let  thine  eye  glance  at  a  religious 
book ;  shun  the  people  of  God  as  thy  greatest  enemies  ;  never 
listen  to  the  voice  of  conscience ;  drive  the  Holy  Spirit  from  thy 
breast ;  never  turn  thine  eye  towards  Calvary ;  banish  all 
thoughts  of  heaven  from  thy  mind ;  smile  at  death ;  laugh  at 
eternity ;  look  up  to  the  throne  of  the  Great  Eternal  and  cry, 
"  Who  is  the  Lord,  that  I  should  serve  him  ? "  stand  on  the  edge 
of  the  infernal  gulf,  and  shout,  "  Hail !  thou  profoundest  hell." 
If  you  have  a  good  principle,  go  through  with  it.  Poor  sinner ! 
get  all  the  happiness  thou  canst,  for  it  is  all  thou  wilt  ever 
have.  Thou  refusest  the  sweet  rest  of  religion ;  —  get  all  thou 
canst  from  the  world,  for  the  time  is  near  when  thou  wilt  never 
rest  for  a  moment  again.  All  thy  rest  is  on  this  side  of  the 
tomb.  There  is  none  beyond  for  thee,  unless  the  yell  of  dev- 
ils, the  groans  of  the  damned,  the  roar  of  the  eternal  storm,  the 
taunt  of  fiends,  the  quenchless  flame,  the  gnawings  of  the  undy- 
ing worms,  the  fire-beds  of  hell,  be  rest,  —  unless  recollections 
of  having  lost  a  day  of  grace,  trampled  on  the  precious  blood 
of  Christ,  and  forfeited  heaven,  be  your  rest,  —  unless  the  com- 
pany of  lost  men  and  lost  angels,  God's  eternal  anger,  the  Re- 
deemer's eternal  frown,  and  the  braving  of  the  bowlings  of  an 
eternal  night,  be  rest.  If  these  things  cannot  give  you  rest, 
then  there  is  no  rest  for  you  beyond  the  grave.  Decide,  then, 
if  not  for  heaven,  for  hell.  How  long,  then,  halt  ye  between 
two  opinions  ? 


SERMON  XI. 


AN   INVITATION   TO   STRAITENED    SOULS. 

"Even  so  would  he  have  removed  thee  out  of  the  strait  into  the  broad  place,  where 
there  ia  no  straitness,  and  that  which  should  be  set  on  thy  table  should  be  full  of  fat- 
ness."—Job  36:  16. 

I  THINK  I  have  seen,  perhaps,  as  much  or  more  of  Methodist 
people  than  the  generality  of  this  congregation.  I  have  mingled 
with  them  in  both  hemispheres  by  hundreds  and  thousands ;  and 
from  all  I  have  seen  of  them  I  come  to  the  conclusion  that  they 
may  be  divided  into  two  classes  —  those  who  take  high  ground  in 
religion, — that  is,  holy  ground, — and  those  who  take  low  ground. 
Some  will  say,  "  But  do  you  intend  to  divide  all  into  two 
classes  ?  "  Yes ;  there  is  a  third  class,  but  it  is  not  worth  mention- 
ing to-night, — the  unconverted  class,  —  for  there  are  unconverted 
members  of  the  Methodist  church,  as  well  as  others.  Metho- 
dism is  cursed  with  unconverted  members,  as  well  as  other 
churches,  who  live  without  salvation,  who  are  just  like  the  brutes 
that  went  into  Noah's  ark;  —  they  went  in  brutes,  and  came  out 
brutes ;  —  they  came  among  the  Methodists  unconverted,  and  they 
go  into  eternity  in  the  same  manner.  Perhaps  there  are  three 
hundred  persons  on  the  secretary's  books  who,  on  this  and  the 
other  side  of  the  river,  have  obtained  a  clear  evidence  of  their 
justification,  and  who  believe  in  God  that  they  have  found  sal- 
vation. Now,  I  ask  you,  and  also  those  who  have  been  recovered 
from  a  blacksliding  state,  what  would  have  become  of  you,  if 
you  had  died  in  your  past  state  ?  You  would  have  gone  to 
hell. 

*  A  farewell  sermon,  preached  in  Sans-street  chapel,  Sunderland  (Eng.) 


154  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Now,  as  to  the  second  class,  —  those  who  are  on  low  ground  m 
religion.  How  often,  when  it  has  been  said  in  this  sort,  "  My 
dear  sister,  how  is  it  that  you  do  not  enjoy  so  much  religion  as 
this  or  the  other  person  ? "  you  have  replied,  "  If  I  had  as  good  a 
husband  as  that  person,  I  should  enjoy  as  much  religion ;"  or,  "If 
I  had  a  house  as  well  furnished,  or  as  good  a  family ;  but  in  my 
present  circumstances  I  can  make  no  pretensions  to  having  a 
high  degree  of  grace."  Or,  if  one  of  you  has  been  asked  why 
he,  like  that  good  brother,  had  not  always  the  smiles  of  Heaven 
on  his  face,  he  has  replied,  "  If  I  had  a  wife  like  that  man,  or  as 
good  a  business,  and  was  getting  on  as  well  in  the  world,  I  should 
be  as  happy  as  he ;  but  I  am  perplexed  and  troubled  in  various 
matters,  and  I  have  made  up  my  mind  that  if  I  can  just  get 
religion,  I  shall  do  very  well."  Ah !  it  is  throwing  the  blame  on 
God ;  it  is  saying  that  God  is  not  as  good  to  you  as  he  ought  to 
have  been,  and  that  he  has  not  placed  you  in  such  circumstances 
as  are  best  for  your  spiritual  welfare.  Brother,  if  you  have  an 
honest  calling,  and  earn  your  bread  honestly,  though  you  are  not 
worth  a  shilling,  you  may  have  religion  in  your  soul.  I  think 
it  is  Goldsmith  who  says,  "  Every  feeling  which  leads  us  to 
expect  happiness  somewhere  else  than  where  we  are,  lays  a 
foundation  for  uneasiness."  A  man  may  enjoy  as  much  religion, 
if  he  has  not  a  second  coat  to  his  back,  as  the  man  who  is 
clothed  in  broadcloth,  and  has  a  large  wardrobe. 

What,  then,  are  we  to  understand  by  these  terms,  "  Even  so 
would  he  have  removed  thee  out  of  the  straight  into  a  broad 
place,  v/here  there  is  no  straitness "  ?  What  is  literally  strait- 
ness^?  I  suppose  the  word  strait  here  means  narrow.  The 
place  between  two  mountains,  that  is  a  strait,  —  a  narrow  pass- 
age. Seamen  will  understand  it  by  a  reference  to  the  Straits 
of  Gibraltar.  They  say  such  and  such  straits  are  dangerous  to 
pass  through ;  and  sailors  know  well  that  it  is  often  dangerous  to 
go  through  straits,  —  there  is  no  sea-room  in  them.  I  have 
been  on  the  Atlantic  when  the  thunder  has  roared,  the  light- 
ning flashed,  and  the  mighty  waves  have  dashed  upon  the  deck, 
and  when  our  hearts  have  failed  within  us ;  yet  there  was  plenty 


AN   INVITATION   TO    STRAITENED    SOULS.  155 

of  sea-room,  and  although  the  very  sails  were  torn  into  strips, 
there  was  no  danger  of  shipwreck  on  a  lee-shore. 

A  strait  implies  a  difficulty  of  choice ;  hence  St.  Paul  said, 
*'  I  am  in  a  strait  betwixt  two,  having  a  desire  to  depart  and  to 
be  with  Christ,  which  is  far  better." 

We  say  of  a  man,  when  he  cannot  pay  his  debts,  that  he  is 
in  straitened  circumstances ;  and  I  find  that  in  various  countries 
they  have  terms  to  express  the  same  state.  In  Scotland  they 
say  pinched  or  hampered :  in  America,  that  he  has  a  hard  row 
to  hoe.  This  expression  is  in  reference  to  the  hoeing  of  sugar 
or  corn.  Sometimes  one  row  is  harder  than  another,  and  one 
poor  fellow  lags  behind  the  rest  because  he  has  got  a  harder  row 
to  hoe ;  and  so,  when  anybody  is  in  great  pecuniary  trouble,  it  is 
said  he  has  a  hard  row  to  hoe.  We  say  a  man  is  in  a  strait 
when  he  has  a  large  family  and  a  small  income ;  and  many  a 
professor  of  religion  is  straitened  when  he  gets  to  class  and  finds 
there  is  no  religion  in  him.  His  leader  gets  up  and  says, "  Brother, 
how  do  you  feel  ? "  He  is  straitened,  and  if  not  disposed  to  act 
the  part  of  the  hypocrite,  he  has  scarcely  a  word  to  say.  But  if 
he  has  got  religion,  he  is  not  straitened  at  all;  his  heart  is  full, 
his  soul  is  full,  he  has  a  living  spring  of  joy  within  himself;  he- 
is  in  a  broad  place ;  he  equally  meets  the  demands  of  the  law  and 
Christian  love ;  "  he  rejoices  evermore,  prays  without  ceasing," 
and  thanks  God  for  everything. 

So  much  for  the  literal  meaning  of  the  words.  I  cannot  tell 
whether  I  have  hit  your  views  on  this  point ;  but  it  is  not  par- 
ticular, if  you  understand  that  as  strait  places  are  unpleasant  in 
temporal  circumstances,  they  are  also  unpleasant  in  spiritual 
affairs. 

The  next  point  is,  why  the  Almighty  Father  uses  these  words 
to  every  professor  of  religion  in  this  chapel.  I  wish  to  be  under- 
stood that  I  take  the  passage  in  its  evangelical  sense,  and  there- 
fore shall  leave  Elihu  and  Job,  and  apply  it  directly  to  ourselves, 
and  mention  some  reasons  why  our  Heavenly  Father  uses  these 
as  his  words.  God  knows,  you  have  had  plenty  of  it,  brethren ; 
you  have  been  straitened  in  your  souls  long  enough,  narrow  and 
contracted,  always  in  a  strait  in  feeling,  —  as  lean  as  Pharaoh's 


156  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

lean  kine,  —  a  lean  heart.  Many  a  time  you  have  said,  "  O ! 
my  leanness !  "  When  you  have  got  down  to  pray,  you  have 
said,  "  0  !  my  leanness ! "  You  have  been  straitened  for  words 
and  ideas,  and  have  had  a  sad  time  of  it.  My  brother  and 
sister,  pray  "  Bring  me  out  of  a  strait  place  to-night,"  —  I  wish 
you  may  do  so.     Amen. 

The  first  reason  is,  that  the  grand  designs  of  Christ  may  be 
answered.  You  remember  the  shedding  of  Christ's  blood  had 
two  ends  in  view,  —  the  first  to  obtain  pardon,  and  the  second 
purity.  "  Without  the  shedding  of  blood  there  can  be  no  remis- 
sion." "  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son,  cleanseth  from  all 
sin."  When  you  have  obtained  a  remission  of  sin  and  a  sense 
of  pardon,  if  you  are  content  with  these,  you  go  into  a  strait 
place,  as  sure  as  you  are  a  man.  Says  one,  "  Why  ?  "  Because 
if  you  go  out  as  the  Reubenites,  and  do  not  cross  over  Jordan  to 
Canaan,  you  will  get  into  a  strait  place.  So  long  as  you  are 
only  justified  and  not  purified,  you  are  only  half  a  believer;  and 
do  you  think  Christ  can  be  satisfied  with  your  being  half  a 
believer  ?  Christ  pleads  for  you ;  and  much  of  your  straitened 
feeling  is  to  make  you  forsake  the  low  ground,  and  bring  you  to 
a  higher  state  of  religion. 

Another  reason  why  our  Heavenly  Father  uses  these  words 
is  to  take  us  into  a  broad  place  out  of  straitness.  If  I  under- 
stand anything,  the  Lord  wishes  us  to  be  happy,  and  oh  the 
meaning  of  the  words  "Rejoice  evermore,"  —  and  "again  I  say 
rejoice."  Now,  brethren,  happiness  and  holiness  are  inseparable 
companions,  and  sin  and  misery  are  wedded  as  close  together. 

My  brethren,  in  proportion  as  you  carry  in  your  breasts  sin, 
you  carry  misery,  —  you  carry  a  portion  of  hell  in  your  nature,  — 
you  carry  a  little  of  the  fire  of  hell  in  your  nature,  —  you  carry 
a  little  of  the  worm  that  never  dies,  that  is  the  torment  of  the 
wicked  in  hell,  —  you  carry  the  dread  instrument  that  torments 
the  damned  forever.  While  you  have  sin,  you  have  part  of  the 
devil's  mark  in  your  nature,  that  will  distinguish  the  sheep  from 
the  goats ;  you  have  the  sharpness  of  the  sting,  the  hottest 
coals  of  hell,  in  your  nature,  and  therefore  your  conversion  must 
be  connected  with  unhappy  feeling  until  God  purifies  your  heart. 


AN    INVITATION    TO    STRAITENKD    SOULS.  157 

So  long  as  you  are  only  partly  renewed  in  heart  and  life,  and 
God  and  the  devil  divide  your  life,  you  will  be  inconsistent 
inside  and  outside,  and  inconsistency  always  brings  with  it 
unhappiness  of  mind.  "Even  so  would  he  have  removed  thee 
out  of  the  strait  into  a  broad  place,  where  there  is  no  straitness." 
Again :  his  desire  is  that  we  should  be  contented  with  all  our 
circumstances.  Says  God,  "  Contentment  is  great  gain."  Now, 
in  order  to  my  being  contented  with  my  present  state  of  soul,  I 
must  know  first  that  I  can  be  in  no  better  state.  If  I  have  felt 
that  I  have  been  so  lean  and  in  such  a  strait  place,  is  not  God 
willing  to  remove  my  leanness,  and  to  give  me  a  broad  place,  or 
must  I  be  content  with  my  present  state  ?  Have  I  felt  that  God 
himself  can  make  me  no  better  by  his  Spirit,  and  that  I  am  just 
as  well  as  I  can  be  ?  Ah,  this  will  not  do  !  God  can  remove  my 
secret  trouble,  and  I  never  can  be  content  until  the  blood  of 
Christ  cleanses  me  from  all  sin.  And  hence,  my  friend,  what 
has  been  the  state  of  your  soul  for  years  ?  Why,  looking  back 
and  saying,  "  I  was  very  happy  at  such  a  time  v^rhen  God  con- 
verted me  some  years  ago,  and  I  hope  I  shall  be  so  again  in  the 
future,  but  there  is  a  difficulty  in  my  experience."  Is  that  so, 
brother  ?  You  don't  seem  to  have  a  present  tense  to  your  hap- 
piness. That  is  the  difficulty  with  you.  I  recollect,  in  my  read- 
ing, meeting  with  this  remark,  "  Some  people's  good  days  are 
like  the  verbs  in  the  Hebrew  language  ;  there  is  no  present  tense, 
—  all  is  in  the  past  or  future."  When  1  saw  this,  I  was  some 
thousands  of  miles  from  you,  and  there  was  sitting  beside  me  a 
young  man  from  Scotland,  who  was  seeking  religion  and  desir- 
ing to  be  very  happy.  I  said,  "  My  friend,  hearken  to  this  :  — 
Some  people's  good  days  are  like  the  verbs  in  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage ;  there  is  no  present  tense,  —  all  is  in  the  past  or  future." 
"Ah,  yes,"  says  he,  with  deep  emotion,"  and  that  puts  me  in 
mind  of  what  the  poet  says  : 

•  Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  human  breast ; 

Man  never  is,  but  always  to  be  blest.'  " 

Do  you  know  that  you  English  people  sent  over  to  America 
a  recipe  to  make  people  happy  ?  but  I  can  tell  you  it  never  worked 
14 


158  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

in  America ;  I  don't  think  it  ever  made  man  or  woman  happy. 
Says  one,  "  What  was  the  recipe  ?  "  Why,  it  was  this.  "  Thank 
God  for  the  good  things  he  has  given  you  in  this  life,  and  prom- 
ises you  in  the  life  to  come.  If  any  one  goes  into  a  garden  to 
gather  cobwebs  and  spiders,  he  will  find  plenty  of  them ;  but  if 
he  goes  for  flowers,  he  will  return  with  the  flowers  of  happiness 
blooming  in  his  bosom."  If  you  are  in  a  strait  place,  you  may 
think  of  the  good  things  that  God  has  promised  you  in  the  next 
world;  but  you  will  go  into  the  garden  of  domestic  comfort,  and, 
instead  of  gathering  flowers  to  bloom  in  your  bosom,  you  will 
get  cobwebs  and  spiders,  —  or  plants  to  make  you  as  lean  as 
Pharaoh's  kine.  Never,  till  you  carry  a  holy  heart  into  the 
shop,  the  parlor,  and  the  market,  or  on  the  river  and  sea,  —  never, 
till  you  carry  a  holy  heart  about  with  you,  —  can  you  go  into  the 
garden  of  domestic  comfort,  and  come  back  with  flowers  of  hap- 
piness blooming  in  your  bosom,  —  no,  never  till  you  graduate 
into  holiness. 

This  sentiment  of  the  writer  relative  to  the  Hebrew  verbs  does 
not  apply  to  others.  Some  of  us  have  happy  days,  —  like  our 
good  old  English  verbs,  our  happiness  has  a  present  tense. 
Happy  yesterday,  happy  this  week,  happy  this  month,  happy  this 
year ;  blessed  be  God,  happy  next  day,  happy  next  week,  happy 
next  month,  happy  next  year,  and,  blessed  be  God,  happy  now. 
As  regards  us,  this  sentiment  of  Pope  is  not  correct.  And  if  we 
have  got  religion,  if  the  Holy  Spirit  has  made  us  a  holy  heart, 
we  are  exceptions.  Blessed  be  God,  those  who  are  converted  to 
God,  and  enjoy  holiness  and  perfect  love,  they  are  holy  —  they 
are  blessed.  Poor  Byron !  how  I  have  felt  when  I  have  read 
that  sentiment  of  his,  in  which  he  says,  "I  have  been  thinking 
over  how  many  days  I  have  been  happy  in  my  life,  and  I  have 
never  been  able  to  make  more  than  eleven ;  and  I  have  often 
wondered  in  my  mind  whether  I  can  make  the  round  dozen 
between  this  time  and  my  death."  Whether  poor  Byron  made 
out  the  round  dozen  I  cannot  tell ;  but  oh,  give  me  the  Bible, 
give  me  religion,  give  me  holiness,  and,  bless  God,  I  shall  have  a 
better  story  to  tell  than  poor  Byron. 

I  think  if  I  can  gather  anything  of  the  mind  of  God,  it  is  that 


AN    INVITATION    TO    STRAITENED    SOULS.  159 

we  should  be  useful.  As  holiness  and  happiness  are  inseparable 
companions,  holiness  and  usefulness  are  very  closely  connected, 
—  more  so,  perhaps,  than  any  of  you  are  aware  of.  In  propor- 
tion as  a  man  is  holy,  God  can  use  him  without  destroying  him  by 
pride  and  vanity.  I  was  struck,  during  the  first  year  of  my  min- 
istry, with  a  sentiment  contained  in  one  of  Mr.  Wesley's  letters, 
and  a  letter  written,  too,  before  he  was  converted  (which  is  a 
most  remarkable  thing).  His  mother  had  written  to  him  at  col- 
lege, wishing  him  to  take  a  parish  in  the  Established  Church; 
and  after  reading  this  letter,  he  replied  as  follows :  "  My  dear 
mother,  I  am  persuaded  of  this,  that  the  more  holy  a  man  is,  the 
more  God  can  use  him  without  the  danger  of  destroying  him  by 
pride  and  vanity."  Bless  God,  these  words  were  written  on  my 
heart  whilst  on  my  first  circuit  in  North  America.  Brethren,  a 
holy  heart  is  one  free  from  pride  and  vanity ;  and  when  God  can 
use  us  without  puffing  us  up  with  pride  and  vanity,  he  will  do 
so. 

There  are  many  local  preachers  here.  Bless  God  for  the 
local  preachers !  O  ye  local  preachers,  sometimes  when  ye  go 
into  distant  places  and  take  a  text,  you  have  liberty,  —  you  feel 
that  you  are  a  flame,  and  can  say  anything ;  but  perhaps  you 
have  not  been  long  in  the  pulpit  before  the  devil  and  you  begin 
talking  together,  and  you  fancy  you  can  preach  as  well  as  the 
travelling  preachers ;  and  perhaps  sinners  get  converted  under 
your  instrumentality,  and  you  go  home  feeling  rather  big.  The 
next  time  you  have  gone,  you  have  been  as  dry  as  a  stick ;  you 
have  had  no  power,  no  unction,  and  you  have  broke  all  down. 
If  you  had  a  holy  heart,  when  God  put  his  hand  out  for  the  con- 
version of  sinners  on  that  occasion,  you  would  have  been  humbled, 
and  said,  "  What  a  poor  insignificant  worm  I  am,  dependent  on 
my  God  every  moment ! "  and  the  next  time  you  would  have 
been  a  flame  again,  and  the  instances  of  good  would  have  been 
multiplied,  until  by  and  by  you  had  been  made  an  instrument  in 
the  hands  of  God  for  the  conversion  of  the  surrounding  country. 
Many  a  time  God  has  watched  you.  Some  of  you  may  say, 
"  Am  I  called  to  preach  the  Gospel  ? "  If  you  are  not  called,  you 
have  no  business  in  the  pulpit ;  but  if  you  feel  a  call,  and  say. 


160  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

"  Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel,"  and  God  has  warmed 
your  heart,  sent  you  away  happy  from  preaching,  and  converted 
sinners  under  your  instrumentality,  you  have  no  cause  to  doubt. 
The  man  who  feels  a  yearning  for  souls,  and  power  in  preach- 
ing, who  sees  God  awakening  sinners,  is  not  required  to  go 
to  heaven  to  know  whether  God  calls  him ;  he  need  not  go  to 
the  depths  to  know  whether  he  is  called  to  preach  the  Gospel; 
his  ratification  is  in  the  inward  glow  which  he  feels,  the  unction 
and  power;  and,  brethren,  you  have  had  it  over  and  over  again. 
And  God  gives  talents  to  those  he  calls,  —  whom  he  calls  he 
qualifies ;  but  many  a  time  God  has  called  to  the  work  a  man  in 
whom  there  have  been  pride,  self-will,  and  vanity  lurking. 
Brethren,  the  Lord  then  puts  a  curtain  between  you  and  useful- 
ness, and  watches  your  operations.  Take  the  purest  glass  of 
water  and  place  dirt  in  it,  the  dirt  will  sink  to  the  bottom ;  but 
shake  it,  and  it  will  come  up  again.  So  God  shakes  you  to  bring 
out  all  your  imperfections.  Parents  do  not  place  knives  or  sharp 
instruments  in  the  hands  of  children,  lest  they  should  thereby 
be  injured ;  and  God  does  not  give  you  what  you  cannot  bear. 
Some  local  preachers  may  have  prayed,  "  O,  that,  instead  of 
going  to  preach  in  yonder  little  chapel  to  twenty  or  thirty  per- 
sons, God  would  make  me  a  flame,  double  my  congregation,  and 
make  me  a  blessing."  Brethren,  he  sees  you  cannot  bear  it,  and 
hence  he  keeps  the  curtain  down.  Many  a  time  he  has  said,  "  I 
would  make  him  a  flame  of  fire,  but  he  cannot  do  with  it."  You 
have  given  the  Lord  a  great  deal  of  trouble  since  you  became  a 
local  preacher.  Brother,  I  believe  God  will  make  you  a  bless- 
ing by  sending  you  into  the  country,  if  you  will  get  baptized  by 
the  Holy  Spirit ;  but  you  are  a  curse  to  the  ministry,  as  you  now 
stand.  In  the  name  of  God,  what  say  you  ?  This  may  be  the 
last  sermon  you  will  hear  preached,  —  what  say  you  ?  Will  you 
allow  me  to  press  this  on  you,  dear  brother  ?  If  you  wish  to  be 
a  flame  of  fire,  if  you  desire  the  curtain  to  be  withdrawn,  if  you 
wish  to  be  a  flail  in  the  hands  of  God  to  crush  sinners, 'what  say 
you  ?  I  feel  controlled  in  consequence  of  having  had  an  over- 
whelming weight  of  labor,  and  I  am  afraid  of  getting  into  a  tem- 
pest of  feeling;  but  if  anything  would  rouse  me  to  a  tempest,  it 


AN    INVITATION    TO    STRAITENED    SOULS.  161 

would  be  on  behalf  of  those  men  of  God,  who,  without  fee  or 
reward,  go  east,  west,  north,  and  south,  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
earning  their  bread  by  the  sweat  of  their  face  during  the  week. 
My  dear  brother,  how  I  should  like  you  to  get  purified !  You 
know,  brother,  you  must  have  holiness,  if  you  wish  to  be  an 
instrument  of  usefulness  in  the  hands  of  God. 

The  Lord  says,  I  would  remove  thee  out  of  a  strait  into  a  broad 
place.  Perhaps  a  class-leader  here  may  say,  "  O,  give  me  a 
room  full  of  people  ! "  He  would,  but  he  sees  you  cannot  bear 
it.  He  sees  that,  whenever  you  get  influence  in  the  church  of 
God,  you  become  high-minded,  and  want  all  your  own  way. 
Perhaps  four  or  five  meet  you,  and  you  are  as  cold  as  death.  If 
they  had  not  had  principle  in  them,  they  would  have  left  you 
long  ago ;  but  they  have  principle,  and  they  say,  "  We  will  stand 
by  our  leader,  though  he  is  as  cold  as  a  piece  of  ice."  0,  if  ye 
would  but  be  pure,  the  Lord  would  make  the  place  too  strait  for 
all  to  come.  My  brother,  "  Even  so  would  he  have  removed 
thee  out  of  the  strait  into  a  broad  place,  where  there  is  no  strait- 
ness."  I  care  not  how  high  a  man's  talents  may  be,  —  if  he  is  not 
holy,  he  is  a  poor  stick  in  the  house  of  God.  Take  the  best 
mechanic  in  Sunderland,  put  him  into  a  little  room,  and  give 
him  the  best  tools  a  man  ever  handled,  and  say,  "  Make  what  I 
require ;"  but,  says  he,  "I  have  no  room."  You  say,  "  There  is  a 
good  axe,  —  use  it ;  there  are  planes  and  compasses,  —  use  them." 
"Yes,"  he  replies,  "but  I  want  room, — give  me  room.  I  am 
packed  up  in  this  little  place ;  no  man  can  use  an  axe  or  hand- 
saw here,  —  give  me  a  larger  workshop."  So  is  it  if  you  have 
the  best  weapons  in  the  Bible  armory,  —  if  you  have  a  strait 
place,  and  the  devil  has  put  you  in  a  corner,  so  that  you  have  not 
elbow-room,  your  work  will  never  succeed.  Get  your  soul  into  a 
broad  place  —  hallelujah  !  —  where  you  can  have  room  to  work. 

I  look  round  upon  this  congregation,  and  think  how  much 
would  be  done  for  God,  if  you  had  purity  and  holiness.  I  believe 
many  of  you,  in  consequence  of  being  unholy,  are  not  in  the 
place  in  the  house  of  God  in  which  you  ought  to  be.  You  have 
got  straitened.  Many  of  you  had  a  call  to  preach  the  Gospel 
many  years  ago,  and  you  have  turned  your  head  this  way  and 
14# 


162  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

that,  and  have  not  known  which  way  to  turn.  You  have  said, 
perhaps,  "  Why  was  I  called,  if  a  way  was  not  opened  ?  "  and 
whenever  unhappy,  you  have  been  tempted  to  give  in.  The 
door  was  strait.  Now,  I  tell  you  God  is  willing  that  the  place 
should  be  enlarged ;  he  only  wants  you  to  be  purified,  and  the 
time  will  soon  come  when  you  shall  preach.  You  must  first 
tarry  at  Jerusalem  until  you  be  endued  with  powet  from  on  high. 
God  wants  you ;  there  are  plenty  of  sinners  to  be  converted ;  he 
will  take  you  down  to  the  docks  yonder,  and  make  you  a  flame 
of  fire,  and  your  voice  shall  be  heard  even  across  the  river.  He 
does  not  want  you  to  go  into  the  pulpit  just  now,  but  he 
will  make  you  a  flame  of  fire  along  the  lanes  and  at  the  corners 
of  streets,  long  before  the  clergy  or  ministers  are  stirring.  You 
might  have  half  a  dozen  of  the  poor  of  .Sunderland  gathered 
around  you,  and  God  might  give  you  the  souls  of  the  poor,  who, 
after  weathering  every  storm  of  this  world's  vicissitudes,  shall 
gather  glory  around  your  head  forever.  But  you  are  not  ready ; 
and,  therefore,  though  he  has  called  you,  he  has  not  given  you 
anything  to  do. 

I  believe,  brother,  you  will  never  have  prosperity  till  you  obey 
this  call.  I  am  speaking  to  a  man  who  hears  me,  and  under- 
stands me.  But  God  will  not  let  you  render  obedience  until 
you  are  purified.  Lord  help  me !  I  dare  not  give  way  to  my 
feelings,  but  still  I  like  the  man  so  well  that  I  must  say,  "  Will 
you  not  get  purified  to-night  —  will  you  not  get  endued  with 
power  from  on  high  ?  "  There  are  some  here  who  ought  to  be 
class-leaders ;  you  have  nothing  to  do,  and  the  reason  is,  you 
are  not  holy  yet.  Some  of  you  are  sunk  low  in  your  temporal 
affairs.  The  reason  is,  you  have  not  given  your  heart  fully  to 
God ;  your  business  does  not  flourish,  because  you  are  not  holy. 
I  am  one  of  those  who  believe,  with  an  English  poet,  that 

"  God  gives  to  every  man  the  talents,  temper,  taste, 
Then  lets  him  fall  into  the  niche 
He  was  ordained  to  fill." 

There  are  some  men  who  have  thousands  of  gold  and  silver, 
and  he  will  not  allow  them  to  enjoy  it,  because  it  would  send 


AN    INVITATION    TO    STRAITENED    SOULS.  163 

them  to  hell  forever ;  but  if  they  were  purified,  he  would  bless 
them,  and  make  them  a  blessing  to  the  church  of  the  livings 
God.  Thus,  for  want  of  holiness,  one  after  another  of  them  is 
thrown  into  the  back-ground ;  and  there  are  some  here  this 
evening  to  whom  the  words  of  the  poet  will  apply,  —  words  well 
known,  almost  thread-bare,  yet  after  all  very  sweet, — 

"  Full  many  a  gem  of  purest  ray  serene 

The  dark  unfathomed  caves  of  ocean  bear; 
Full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush  unseen, 
And  waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air." 

Full  many  a  gem  now  lies  down  in  the  mines  of  sickness 
and  poverty,  which  might  sparkle  in  the  diadem  of  the  church, 
and  dazzle  and  burn  and  blaze ;  but  the  reason  is,  it  is  not 
holy.  Full  many  a  flower,  that  wastes  its  sweetness  on  the 
desert  air  of  obscurity,  might  open  and  bloom  like  a  flower 
of  paradise,  and  spread  its  fragrance  through  the  whole  church 
of  God ;  but  it  wastes  its  sweetness,  because  it  is  not  purified. 

O  ye  new  converts,  my  heart  feels  for  you !  You  will  be 
like  the  backslidden  ones,  if  you  do  not  glorify  God.  You  will 
be  hampered  all  your  lives,  if  you  are  not  purified.  You  will 
begin  the  battle  with  a  heart  grieving  the  Spirit,  and  by  and  by 
you  will  be  poor  dry  things.  Make  up  your  mind,  young  con- 
vert, and  do  not  rest  till  you  are  purified.  I  was  much  struck 
with  a  passage  of  an  English  writer,  some  time  ago :  he  says, 
"  Should  it  ever  fall  to  the  lot  of  youth  to  read  these  pages,  let 
him  bear  in  remembrance  that  the  author,  now  in  his  man- 
hood, regrets  deeply  the  opportunities  of  learning  which  he 
neglected  in  youth,  and  all  through  life  in  his  literary  career 
he  has  been  pinched  and  hampered  by  the  deficiences  of  an 
early  education ;"  and  he  adds,  "  I  would  part  with  the  half 
of  my  reputation,  if  the  remaining  half  could  rest  on  the  true 
foundation  of  science  and  learning.  Now,  then,  if  you  neglect 
the  education  of  holiness  in  your  early  experience,  you  will 
be  pinched  and  hampered  through  life  for  the  want  of  it."  In 
the  name  of  God,  make  up  your  mind!  The  hour  is  now  past, 
and  it  is  time  I  had  finished  preaching ;  but  my  heart  is  full 


164  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

of  this  subject.  How  many  of  yo\i  in  that  gallery  will  give 
yourselves  fully  to  God  to-night?  How  many  of  you  want 
purity?  How  many  of  you  wish  to  be  removed"  from  your 
present  straitness  into  a  broad  place?  Then  take  the  lesson 
with  you  J  —  "What  things  soever  you  desire  when  ye  pray, 
believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them." 


\ 


REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES 

PART   II. 


CHAPTER   I. 

IS   ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION   A    GRADUAL    OR   AN    INSTAN- 
TANEOUS  WORK? 

It  is  frequently  asked,  "  Is  the  blessing  of  entire  sanctifica- 
tion  gradual^  or  is  it  instantaneous  ? "  I  answer,  in  three 
respects  it  is  gradual,  and  in  one  only  is  it  instantaneous.  1st. 
It  is  gradual,  from  the  fact  that  it  begins  in  the  moment 
of  justification  ;  and  so  long  as  the  new  convert  is  faithful,  the 
work  steadily  advances  in  his  soul,  till  he  is  sanctified  entirely, 
throughout  soul,  body,  and  spirit;  and,  2d.  So  long  as  he  con- 
tinues faithful,  there  is  no  pause  in  his  advancement  to  higher 
degrees  of  love  and  holiness,  until  he  is  released  from  this  tab- 
ernacle of  clay.  This  is  what  the  apostle  meant,  I  imagine,  by 
^'"perfecting  holiness."  3d.  Nor  does  the  work  pause  in  heaven; 
it  is  gradually  progressive  throughout  eternity.  In  one  respect 
only  is  entire  sanctification  instantaneous,  —  the  entire  separation 
of  sin  from  the  soul.  This  must  necessarily  be  in  a  moment, 
if  the  believer  is  purified  before  he  enters  eternity. 

The  argument  may,  therefore,  be  brought  within  a  narrow 
compass ;  nor  need  brevity  induce  obscurity.  If  you  admit  the 
following  simple  proposition^^  a  multiplicity  of  words  will  be 
avoided,  as  they  frequently  only  darken  counsel.  1st.  That 
justification  and  "  entire  sanctification  "  are  two  distinct  bless- 
ings. 2d.  That  each  is  to  be  distiiictly  apprehended  and  received 
by  faith.  This  you  will  not  be  inclined  to  doubt,  if  you  have 
consulted  Romans  5:1;  Acts  26:  18;  and  Acts  15:  9.  3d. 
That  justification  implies  the  forgive?i€SS  of  sins,  and,  conse- 


166  KEVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

quently,  deliverance  in  full  from  condemnation.  Romans  Si  1. 
4th.  That  regeneration  is  inseparable  from  justification;  and 
that  this,  in  the  nature  of  things,  must  include  sanctification,  — 
begun,  5th.  That  "  entire  sanctification  "  —  such  as  that  for 
which  the  apostle  prays  in  1  Thessalonians  5 :  23  —  is,  1.  A  full 
and  unreserved  consecration  of  the  whole  man  to  God.  2.  The 
entire  conformation  of  every  power  of  body^  soul,  and  spirit,  to 
the  ivill  and  likeness  of  God.  6th.  That  this  stands  inseparably 
connected  with  a  state  of  purity,  such  as  is  recognized  in  that 
exalted  command, — ^^  Be  ye  holy,  for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am 
holy  ;"  and  again,  —  "  Be  ye  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  in  heaven 
is  perfect ;"  such  as  that  which  is  so  beautifully  expressed  by 
St.  John,  —  "  For  every  man  that  hath  this  hope  in  him  purifieth 
himself,  even  as  he  is  pure ;'''  and  upon  which  Christ  himself 
pronounces  that  blessing,  —  ^'■Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for 
they  shall  see  God.^'  7th.  That,  although  incipient  sanctification 
is  coincident  with  justification,  the  entire  cleansing  of  the  soul 
from  sin  is  usually  an  after-work.  8th.  That  each  of  these  pur- 
chased blessings  is  received  by  faith. 

Taking  it,  then,  for  granted,  that,  in  each  of  the  above  points, 
we  are  agreed,  I  would  inquire  whether  the  sins  of  a  believing 
penitent  are  pardoned  gradually,  —  that  is,  one  by  one,  one  now, 
and  another  then,  —  or,  en  masse,  altogether,  and  at  once, — that  is 
instantaneously.  If  you  affirm  the  latter,  then  no  further  argu- 
ment is  needed  to  prove  that  the  blessing  of  "  entire  sanctification" 
is  received  instantaneously  also,  seeing  that  the  instrumentality 
[faith)  is  the  same,  diflTering  only  in  the  object  for  which  it  is 
exercised ;  the  penitent  believing  for  pardon,  the  justified  be- 
liever for  purity.  I  know  not  that  I  can  set  the  matter  in  any 
clearer  light.  If  you  discard  one  or  more  of  the  above  primary 
propositions,  the  dependent  infer eiices  must,  of  course,  fall  to  the 
ground.  I  would,  then,  proceed  with  the  discussion  upon  other 
principles.  I  should  certainly  be  led  to  insist,  that  the  doctrine 
of  a  gradual  pardon,  in  behalf  of  a  mourning  penitent,  is  not 
found  in  the  Bible,  nor  a  'gradual  regeneration.  But  both,  on 
conditions  of  repentance  and  faith,  are  promised  there;  and, 
therefore,  if  received  at  all,  they  must  be  instantaneous ;  there- 
fore purification  from  indwelling  sin  must  be  instantaneous  also. 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION.  167 

It  would  not  require  much  argument  to  prove  that  those 
Methodists  who  do  not  enjoy  holiness,  nor  are  pressing  after  its 
attainment,  either  have  never  been  converted^  or  have  fallen  from 
a  justified  state ;  and  further,  that  they  are  in  peril  of  that 
threatening,  "So  then,  because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither 
cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  my  mouth."  You  may  con- 
sult at  your  leisure  1  John  3 :   1 — 3,  especially  the  third  verse. 

Surely  you  must  profess  what  God  has  wrought  in  your  soul^ 
But  let  it  be  on  proper  occasions,  as  the  Spirit  may  direct ;  in 
what  Mr.  Fletcher  calls  a  self-abasing  and  Christ-exalting  spirit. 
But  if,  by  exalting  Christ,  you  may  seem,  in  the  estimation  of 
others,  to  be  exalting  self,  heed  it  not, — trouble  not  yourself. 
Leave  that  to  God.  Receive  the  reproach  with  patient,  cheer- 
ful, adoring  love.  Is  it  not  written,  "  Them  that  honor  me,  I  will 
honor  "  ?  In  honoring  the  grace  of  your  sanctifying  Lord,  he 
may  put  peculiar  honor  upon  you,  by  enduing  you  with  power 
so  to  confess  his  salvation,  as  to  bring  honor  to  his  name,  and 
to  the  doctrine  of  perfect  love.  But  should  it  rather  turn  to 
your  reproach,  comfort  your  heart  with  these  sweet  words : 
"jpor  2^71^0  you  it  is  given,"  as  a  token  of  peculiar  favor,  "  ?wt 
only  to  believe  on  him,  but  also  to  suffer  for  his  sake."  Phil.  1 : 
29.  Perfect  love,  you  must  remember,  always  says,  in  all  sorts 
of  persecutions,  — 

"  Lord;  I  adore  thy  gracious  will, 
Through  every  instrument  of  ill, 
My  Father's  goodness  see  ; 
Accept  the  complicated  wrong 
Of  Shimei's  hand,  or  Shimei's  tongue, 
As  kind  rebukes  from  thee." 

If  they  despised  perfection  incarnate,  shall  you  escape  ?  If 
they  spat  upon  the  face  of  your  Master,  shall  they  be  disinclined 
to  offer  contempt  to  his  humble  and  faithful  servant  ?  If  the 
head  was  crowned  with  thorns,  the  members  need  not  expect  a 
sprinkling  of  rose-buds.  "  As  certainly  as  night  follows  day,  so 
certainly  will  that  black  angel  persecution  follow  holiness,"  was 
the  true  remark  of  one  now  with  God.  But  who  ever  blushed 
that  he  excelled  in  his  profession  ?  See  to  it,  my  dear  brother, 
that  you  really  excel ;  and  remember  that  your  obligations  to  be 


168  .  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

faithful  multiply  in  the  same  proportion  as  you  draw  such 
'^ attentions'^  toward  yourself.  Mr.  Fletcher  tells  us  that  the 
purified  believer  has  the  simplicity  of  the  gentle  dove,  the 
patience  of  the  laborious  ox,  the  courage  of  the  magnanimous 
lion,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  wary  serpent,  without  any  of  its 
poison ;  —  all  the  above  catalogue  of  virtues  you  will  need,  if  you 
would  profess  and  retain  this  blessing.  Earth  and  hell  are 
arrayed  against  holiness ;  therefore  expect  the  sharpest  trials. 
But  do  not  forget  that  holiness  must  have  appended  to  it  some 
distinguished  privileges,  as  a  "  set-off  "  to  its  sacrifices.  Some 
of  these  glorious  privileges  you  already  realize  ;  you  must  die  to 
know  the  rest. 

A  good  man  once  said  to  an  antagonist  of  his,  "  It  is  easier 
to  raise  a  dust  than  to  answer  an  argument."  Of  the  former, 
there  is  no  deficiency  among  the  enemies  of  present  holiness.  1 
shall  use  the  "  besom  "  of  another  to  sweep  away  part  of  it ;  and 
after  that,  may  possibly  lay  the  rest  with  a  sprinkling  of  "the 
waters  of  the  sanctuary."  Travellers  inform  us  that  vegetation 
is  so  quick  and  powerful  in  some  climates,  that  the  seeds  of 
some  vegetables  yield  a  salad  in  less  than  twenty-four  hours. 
Should  a  northern  philosopher  say,  impossible,  and  should  an 
English  gardener  exclaim  against  such  mushroom  salad,  they 
would  only  expose  their  prejudices,  as  do  those  who  deny 
instantaneous  justification,  or  mock  at  the  possibility  of  the 
instantaneous  destruction  of  indwelling  sin. 

It  has  been  asked,  "  Is  not  a  total  death  to  sin  the  argument 
of  the  apostle,  in  the  sixth  chapter  to  the  Romans  ?  "  Certainly. 
*'  Is  not  dying  a  gradual  process  ?  "  Not  always.  Some  die  in 
a  moment.  When  I  was  in  the  city  of  Cork,  some  time  since, 
a  man  fell  from  the  third  story  of  a  building;  —  a  quiver  was 
all ;  he  was  in  eternity  in  a  moment.  A  short  time  ago,  in  a 
town  where  I  was  holding  special  services,  a  man  in  good 
health,  while  standing  at  the  door  of  a  hotel,  dropped  down 
dead  in  a  moment.  John  the  Baptist,  St.  James,  and  St.  Paul, 
were  all  beheaded ;  and  this  was  the  work  but  of  a  moment. 
What,  then,  becomes  of  the  gradual  process,  in  such  cases;  and 
they  are  very  numerous?     But  is  the  term  gradual,  in  the 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION.  169 

sense  you  mean,  in  any  case  strictly  correct  ?  The  sick  man 
may,  indeed,  be  gradually  approaching  death ;  but  he  is  not  dead 
until  his  soul  is  separated  from  the  body;  and  this  takes  place 
in  a  single  instant  of  time.  There  is  a  last  moment,  we  all 
allow,  when  the  soul  still  holds  its  possession  of  the  body,  and 
a  first  moment  when  the  body  is  "  te^mntless  "  of  the  immortal 
guest.  It  is  clear,  then,  that  death  is  instantaneous^  although 
the  approach  to  it  is  gradual.  You  must,  therefore,  perceive 
that  the  argument  is  good  for  nothing;  it  is,  in  fact,  "worse 
than  nothing,"  in  reference  to  the  question. 

The  apostle,  in  the  sixth  of  Romans,  speaks  of  some,  and  of 
himself  among  the  rest,  who  had  experienced  a  total  death  to 
sin;  and  inquires,  '^How  shall  we  that  are  dead  to  sin  live  any 
longer  therein  ?  "  A  last  moment  there  was,  in  the  history  of 
these  believers,  when  they  were  not  dead  to  sin.  There  was  a 
first  moment  when  they  were  as  dead  to  sin  as  the  body  is  dead 
when  the  soul  is  separated  from  it.  "  If  sin  cease  before  death," 
says  Mr.  Wesley,  "  it  must,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  be  instan- 
taneous. There  must  be  a  last  moment  when  sin  exists  in  the 
soul,  and  a  first  moment  when  it  does  not  exist."  But  all  this, 
you  will  perceive,  does  not  preclude  the  gradual  work.  From 
the  instant  that  the  penitent  sinner  is  justified  does  the  gradual 
work  of  mortification  to  sin  make  progress  in  his  soul.  But,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  dying  person  already  alluded  to,  he  gradually 
approaches  nearer  and  nearer  the  hour  of  deliverance ;  an  instant 
arrives  when  "  cruel  sin  subsists  no  more."  So  true  is  that  fine 
sentiment  of  some  writer, — "  The  work  of  purification  is  gradual 
in p-eparation,  but  instantaneous  in  reception;  and  the  more 
earnestly  we  long  for  this  unspeakable  blessing,  the  more  swiftly 
the  preparation  increases." 

It  may  be  said,  "  If  there  is  not  some  unavoidable  necessity 
for  the  gradual  destruction  of  sin  in  our  nature,  why  is  it  that 
God  does  not  at  once  accomplish  that  for  us  which  none  but 
himself  can  ? "  There  is  an  error  couched  in  the  above  ques- 
tion, which  evidently  embarrasses  your  judgment.  The  post- 
ponement of  the  destruction  of  sin  does  not  ari^e  from  any 
indisposition  on  the  part  of  God;  nor,  I  may  add,  from  any 
15 


170  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

unalterable  and  insurmountable  law  of  our  nature,  which  neces- 
sitates a  gradual  death  to  sin ;  but  simply  from  the  want  of 
faith  on  the  part  of  the  Christian  himself.  Faith  is  the  condi- 
tion: ^^  Purifying  their  hearts  by  faith.'"  Acts  15  :  9.  The 
blessing  is  given  in  the  moment  that  he  believes ;  but  it  is 
always  withheld  in  the  absence  of  faith.  Why  this  is  so,  is  not 
now  the  question.  I  only  state  a  scriptural  fact ;  and  one  that 
never  fails  in  Christian  experience.  We  know  that  the  tides  of 
the  ocean  follow  the  progress  of  the  waxing  and  waning  moon ; 
but,  by  what  secret  springs  of  nature  the  phenomenon  is  pro- 
duced, or  why  God  has  suspended  these  fluctuations  upon  a 
law  like  that  of  gravitation,  the  wisest  are  unable  to  determine. 
Our  Lord  expressly  declares,  "  What  things  soever  ye  desire 
when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have 
them:'  Mark  11 :  24.  This  is  directly  to  the  point.  Faith  has 
never  been  better  defined  than  in  this  glorious  promise.  It  is 
here  presented  stripped  of  all  obscurity.  He  that  can  trust  in 
Christ's  veracity,  as  he  does  in  his  divinity,  can  have  no  diffi- 
culty here  in  believing  for  a  clean  heart.  Here  we  have,  1st. 
Desire,  as  a  qualification.  When  this  is  sincere,  as  desire 
generally  is,  it  brings  every  qualification  necessary.  2d.  Prayer, 
as  a  means.  3d.  'A  believing  reception  of  the  things  prayed 
for:  ^^ Believe  that  ye  receive."  4th.  The  confidence  of  faith 
honored  :  ^^  And  ye  shall  have  them."  The  promise  is  condi- 
tional;  when  the  conditions  are  fulfilled,  it  is  absolute.  The 
hardness  of  the  heart,  or  want  of  feeling,  can  be  no  obstacle,  so 
long  as  the  person  consciously  desires,  fervently  prays,  and 
believingly persists  in  the  confidence :  "I  do  receive."  In  that 
instant  the  remarkable  promise  in  the  thirty-sixth  chapter  of  the 
prophecy  of  Ezekiel  is  fulfilled  in  the  soul :  "  Then  will  I 
sprinkle  clean  VMter  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean :  from  all 
your  filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idols,  will  I  cleanse  you.  A 
new  heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within 
you :  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your  fiesh, 
and  I  will  give  you  an  heart  of  fiesh.  And  I  will  put  my  spirit 
within  you,  and  cause  you  to  walk  in  my  statutes,  and  ye  shall 
keep  my  judgments,  and  do  them."   The  sentiment  of  Dr.  Clarke 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION.  171 

is  worthy  of  your  attention:  "We  are  to  come  to  God  for  an 
instantaneous  and  complete  purification  from  nil  sin,  as  for 
instantaneous  pardon.  In  no  part  of  the  scriptures  are  we 
directed  to  seek  remission  of  sins  seriatim, — one  now,  and  another 
then,  and  so  on.  Neither  in  any  part  are  we  directed  to  seek 
holiness  by  gradation.  Neither  a  gradation  pardon,  nor  a  gra- 
dation purification,  exists  in  the  Bible." 

This  is  true.  The  penitent  sinner,  who*  is  sincerely  seeking 
salvation,  approaches  nearer  and  nearer  to  pardon ;  but  when 
that  pardon  takes  place,  it  is  instantaneous.  There  must,  if  he 
receive  forgiveness  at  all,  be  a  last  moment  when  he  is  unfor- 
given,  and  a  first  when  he  is  forgiven.  A  believer,  also,  so  long 
as  he  is  faithful  to  the  grace  of  God,  gradually  dies  to  sin ;  but 
if  a  total  death  to  sin  occur  in  this  life,  it  must  necessarily  be 
instantaneous.  If  there  v/as  a  last  and  a  first  moment  with 
regard  to  his  justification,  there  must  be  a  last  moment  and  a 
first  with  regard  to  his  purification. 

When  turning  over  some  of  my  papers  to-day,  I  happened  to 
find  a  few  valuable  remarks,  which  I  copied  some  years  ago, 
from  the  writings  of  the  Kev.  John  Fletcher.  I  shall  do  myself 
the  pleasure  of  copying  them  for  your  consideration,  as  I  do  not 
remember  the  particular  page  of  his  Works  to  which  I  could 
direct  you  to  find  them.  I  pray  they  may  be  rendered  a  bless- 
ing to  you.  Amen !  "  For  where  is  the  absurdity  of  this  doc- 
trine ?  If  the  light  of  a  candle,  brought  into  a  dark  room,  can 
instantly  expel  the  darkness ;  and  if,  upon  opening  the  splutters 
at  noon,  your  gloomy  apartment  can  be  instantly  filled  with 
meridian  light,  why  might  not  the  instantaneous  rending  of  the 
veil  of  unbelief,,  or  the  sudden  and  full  opening  of  the  eye  of 
faith,  instantly  fill  your  soul  with  the  light  of  truth  and  the  fire 
of  love,  supposing  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arise  upon  you 
with  healing  in  his  wings  ?  May  not  the  Sanctifier  descend 
upon  your  waiting  soul  as  quickly  as  the  Spirit  descended  upon 
your  Lord  at  his  baptism  ?  Did  it  not  descend  as  a  dove ;  that 
is,  with  the  soft  motion  of  a  dove,  which  swiftly  shoots  down 
and  instantly  alights  ?  A  good  man  said  once,  'A  mote  is  little 
when  compared  to  the  sun,   but  I  am  far  less  before  God.' 


172  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Alluding  to  this  comparison,  I  ask  if  the  sun  could  instantly 
kindle  a  mote, —  nay,  if  a  burning  glass  can  in  a  moment  calcine 
a  bone,  and  turn  a  stone  to  lime ;  and  if  the  dim  flame  of  a 
candle  can,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  destroy  the  flying  insect 
which  comes  within  its  sphere, —  how  unscriptural  and  irrational 
is  it  to  suppose,  that  when  God  fully  baptizes  a  soul  with  his 
sanctifying  Spirit,  and  with  the  celestial  fire  of  his  love,  he 
cannot,  in  an  instant,  destroy  the  man  of  sin,  burn  up  the  chaff 
of  corruption,  melt  the  heart  of  stone  into  a  heart  of  flesh,  and 
kindle  the  believing  soul  into  pure  seraphic  love ! " 

The  testimony  of  Mr.  Wesley,  also,  to  the  point :  "  The  sep- 
aration of  sin  from  the  soul  is  constantly  preceded  and  followed 
by  a  gradual  work ;  but  is  that  separation  in  itself  instantane- 
ous, or  is  it  not  ?  In  examining  this,  let  us  go  on  step  by  step. 
An  instantaneous  change  has  been  wrought  in  some  believers ; 
none  can  deny  this.  Since  that  change,  they  enjoy  perfect  love. 
They  feel  this,  and  this  alone.  They  *  rejoice  evermore,  pray 
without  ceasing,  and  in  everything  give  thanks.''  Now,  this  is 
all  that  I  mean  by  perfection.  Therefore,  these  are  witnesses 
of  the  perfection  which  I  preach.  '  But  in  some  this  change 
was  not  instantaneous.'  They  did  not  perceive  the  instant 
when  it  was  wrought.  It  is  often  difficult  to  perceive  the  in- 
stant when  a  man  dies;  yet  there  is  an  instant  when  life  ceases. 
And,  if  ever  sin  ceases,  there  must  be  a  last  moment  of  its 
existence,  and  a  first  moment  of  our  deliverance  from  it.  *  But 
if  they  have  this  love,  they  will  lose  it.'  They  may,  but  they 
need  not.  And  whether  they  do  or  not,  they  have  it  noio  ;  they 
now  experience  what  we  teach.  They  noiv  are  all  love  ;  they 
now  rejoice,  and  pray,  and  praise  without  ceasing.  *  However, 
sin  is  only  suspended  in  them  —  it  is  not  destroyed.'  Ca]2  it  what 
you  please,  they  are  all  love  to-day,  and  they  take  no  thought 
for  the  morrow." 

These  arguments  drawn  from  analogy  are  good  and  conclu- 
sive. We  are  not,  however,  wholly  confined  to  that  source  foi 
our  proofs  that  it  is  instantaneous. 

Not  to  dwell  upon  the  important  fact,  that  we  are  said,  in  the 
New  Testament,  to  be  purified  by  faith,  as  we  are  justified  by 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION.  173 

faith,  —  a  penitent  sinner  is  pardoned,  in  a  moment,  by  faith ; 
but  a  believer  is  "  sanctified  by  faith  ;"  therefore  he  is  purified 
in  a  moment.  If  the  instrumentality  be  the  same  in  both  cases, 
so  must  the  effects.  It  is  to  the  commands  of  God,  and  to  his 
promises,  that  we  look  for  our  warrant  in  saying".  The  work  of 
purification  must  be  instantaneous.  A  few  of  these  will  be  as 
good  as  many.  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  vnth  all 
thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  vnth  all  thy  mighty 
Deut.  6:5.  "  Thont  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. ''  Lev.  19  : 
18.  Both  passages  are  prominently  set  forth  by  our  Lord,  in 
Matthew  22 :  37 — 40.  "  Ye  shall  he  holy :  for  I  the  Lord  your 
God  am  holy.^^  Lev.  19  :  2.  And  in  the  succeeding  chapter,  — 
*'  Be  ye  holy :  for  I  am  the  Lord  your  God."  And  again  in  the 
following  chapter,  —  "  For  I  the  Lord  which  sanctify  you  am 
holy."  To  this  end  is  that  command  of  our  Lord,  in  his  ser- 
mon on  the  mount :  "jBe  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  asyour  Father 
which  is  in  heaven  is  perfect."  Matt.  5 :  48.  The  apostle  St. 
John,  perhaps,  glanced  at  the  holiness  of  God  as  necessitating 
ours,  when  he  speaks  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son 
cleansing  from  all  sin  the  soul  that  walks  in  the  light,  as  God 
is  in  the  light.    1  John  1 :  7. 

But  can  we,  of  our  own  will  and  power,  love  the  Lord  our 
God  with  all  our  heart,  and  with  all  our  soul,  and  with  all  our 
might,  and  our  neighbor  as  ourselves  ?  or  make  ourselves  per- 
fect as  our  Father  in  heaven  is  perfect  ?  or  purify  and  transform 
ourselves  into  the  holiness  of  God  ?  Surely  not.  Sooner  may 
the  leopard  change  his  spots,  the  Ethiopian  his  skin.  Sooner 
may  we  cleanse  hell  of  devils.  But  the  commandment  has 
gone  forth ;  ability  to  perform  must  come  from  some  quarter. 
Who  shall  qualify  us  thus  to  love  ?  Who  shall  make  us  thus 
holy,  if  we  ourselves  cannot  ?  God  himself  will  do  it.  The 
apostle  refers  the  whole  to  him  :  "  The  very  God  of  peace  sanc- 
tify you  wholly  :  and  I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit  and  soul  and 
body  be  preserved  blameless  unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Faithful  is  he  that  colleth  you,  who  also  will  do  it."  1 
Thess.  5 :  23,  24.  But  does  God  desire  us  to  be  as  holy  and 
loving  as  he  has  commanded  us  to  be  ?  Yes,  surely,  for  it  is 
15^ 


174  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

expressly  declared,  "  This  is  the  will  of  God,  even  your  sanc- 
tification.'"  But  is  it  possible  we  can  be  thus  holy,  and  love 
God  and  our  neighbor  to  such  a  degree  ?  Certainly  it  is ;  else 
he  had  never  commanded  it.  Does  he  expect,  does  he  desire, 
instant  obedience  ?  Most  surely ;  for,  for  God  to  command 
without  the  possibility  of  our  obedience,  or  without  any  desire 
we  should  obey,  is  quite  unworthy  of  the  character  of  the 
supreme  Governor  of  the  universe.  That  one  sentence,  in  the 
passage  already  quoted,  is  worth  a  volume, — "  Faithful  is  he  that 
calleth  you,  who  also  will  do  it."  Well,  then,  so  surely  as  God 
has  commanded  our  perfect  love  and  perfect  holiness  ;  so  surely 
as  we  cannot  create  within  us  such  a  gracious  state ;  so  cer- 
tainly as  God  commands,  and  desires  us  to  be  holy,  while  none 
but  himself  can  make  us  so  ;  so  certainly  it  is  his  pleasure  that 
we  should  obey,  and  enter  now  into  this  state  of  perfect  love 
and  perfect  purity ;  —  so  surely  is  the  work  of  sin's  destructionj 
and  heart  purification,  instantaneous. 

But  you  will  ask,  "Why,  then,  is  not  sin  immediately 
expelled  from  our  nature  ?  Why  are  we  not  instantly  purified  ? 
How  is  it  that  we  do  not  at  once  love  the  Lord  our  God  with 
all  our  heart  ? "  The  reply  is  at  hand :  he  has  planned  the 
method  of  our  purification.  We  are  free  agents,  and  he  has 
ordained  that  we  shall  be  saved  from  all  inward  sin,  as  well  as 
from  all  outward,  by  our  own  free  will,  consent,  and  cooper- 
ation. Hence  we  are  commanded  to  believe  that  we  receive, 
with  a  promise  that  we  shall  have  appended  to  it.  Sanctified 
by  faith,  purifyiiig  their  hearts  by  faith,  are  declarations  which 
involve  acts  of  our  mvn ;  faith  is  our  own  act,  not  God's.  He 
does  that  for  us  which  we  cannot  do  for  ourselves  ;  but  what  we 
can  do,  he  will  have  us  do,  or  leave  us  to  bear  the  consequences 
of  our  disobedience.  Do  you  understand  me  ?  I  might  quote 
numerous  illustrations  from  common  and  every-day  life ;  but  I 
shall  leave  you  to  supply  yourself  with  facts  which  are  passing 
constantly  before  your  observation.  What  God  requires  of  us,  in 
order  to  our  entire  sanctifcation,  is,  it  is  true,  very  little ;  to  desire 
purity,  to  yray  for  purity,  and  to  believe  that  we  receive  it  while 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATIOxX.  175 

we  are  praying  for  it.  This  is  all.  But  then  the  little  we  can 
do  must  be  done,  or  what  he  alone  can  do  is  left  undone.  It 
is,  perhaps,  just  because  it  is  so  little  that  he  requires  of  us, 
and  not  some  mighty  thing,  that  he  holds  with  us,  upon  this 
point,  so  firmly. 

The  reader  may  say,  "God  often  bestows  upon  faith  and 
prayer  more  than  was  requested.  The  cases  in  Scripture  are 
not  a  few,  where  faith  only  contemplated  one  blessing,  and  yet 
clusters  of  blessings  have  been  granted."  Very  true.  My  own 
experience  illustrates  this.  When  I  united  with  the  Methodist 
people,  I  did  not  enjoy  a  satisfactory  evidence  that  my  sins  were 
forgiven.  This  was  my  state  during  three  or  four  years.  During 
the  above  period,  several  gracious  visitations  of  the  Spirit  were 
vouchsafed  to  my  soul,  and  sometimes  I  felt  happy ;  yet,  in  con- 
sequence of  my  not  knowing  the  exact  time  and  place  of  my 
conversion,  together  with  a  dimness  of  experience  or  perception, 
with  regard  to  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  which,  indeed,  I  did  not 
at  all  understand,  even  doctrinally,  I  entertained  a  doubt,  which 
was  sometimes  harassing,  with  regard  to  the  safety  of  my  soul. 
At  length  I  determined  to  set  out  to  seek  a  clear  evidence  of  my 
adoption  into  the  family  of  God.  I  did  so;  and,  after  a  severe 
struggle,  of  more  than  a  week's  continuance,  the  Lord  revealed 
himself  to  my  soul  as  a  pardoning  God,  and  gave  me  an  evi- 
dence, such  as  till  that  time  I  had  never  realized,  that  God,  for 
Christ's  sake,  had  blotted  out  all  my  transgressions.  I  was  then 
enabled  to  rejoice  evermore,  pray  without  ceasing,  and  in  every- 
thing to  give  thanks. 

The  doctrine  of  entire  sanctijication  I  did  not  understand ; 
indeed,  it  was  seldom  a  pulpit  topic  in  that  part  of  America,  — 
not  discussed,  I  am  sure,  with  convincing  clearness.  With  the 
exception  of  a  few  conflicts,  from  those  temptations  which  assail 
the  most  holy  believer,  I  was  generally  happy.  In  consequence 
of  being  deficient  in  spiritual  discerriment,  which  unfitted  me  to 
distinguish  between  temptation  and  indwelling  sin,  I  often  imputed 
to  the  corruption  of  my  nature  that  which  arose  simply  from  the 
effect  of  temptation  upon  my  mind.     Temptation  is  a  subject  of 


176  REVIVAL     MISCELLANIES. 

feelings  as  well  as  indwelling  sin.=^  A  temptation  is  not  a  tempt- 
ation in  reality,  unless  it  is  felt.  How  can  we  know  that  we 
are  tempted,  unless  we  feel  it?  How  difficult  is  it,  frequently, 
to  discriminate  !  I  could  not  distinguish  the  difference.  Like 
a  blind  man  judging  of  colors,  I  could  not  form  a  proper  judg- 
ment of  the  "hues  and  colorings"  of  my  mental  exercises,  and 
so  came  to  erroneous  conclusions  respecting  them.  Providence, 
however,  favored  me  with  the  means  of  obtaining  clearer  light, 
both  as  it  regarded  the  doctrine  itself,  and  my  own  experience. 
Circumstances,  not  necessary  to  mention,  demanded  I  should 
reside  in  another  part  of  the  State.  Here  holiness  of  heart,  and 
perfect  love  to  God  and  man,  were  set  forth  with  great  clearness 
and  power. 

My  attention  was  now  awakened,  and  the  doctrine  became 
daily  more  and  more  interesting.  I  then  began  to  investigate, 
and  to  obtain  light  from  every  source  of  information.  1st.  By 
searching  the  Scriptures,  which  I  read  throughout  upon  my 
knees.  2nd.  Mr.  Wesley's  writings.  3d.  The  experience  of 
those  around  me  who  affirmed  that  they  enjoyed  purity  of  heart. 
4th.  By  observing  closely  the  exercises  of  my  own  mind.  The 
result  was,  ^jirm  determination  not  to  rest  until  I  felt  that  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  had  cleansed  me  from  all  sin.  I  sought 
the  blessing  earnestly  by  day  and  by  night.  I  fasted,  prayed, 
and  wept,  and  often  entered  into  an  agony  of  soul  for  the  bless- 
ing. Months  passed  away  without  any  other  benefit  than  an 
increased  spirituality  of  mind,  accompanied  by  great  tenderness 
of  conscience.  Sitting  one  day  in  a  private  room  alone,  reading 
Mr.  Wesley's  Plain  Account  of  Christian  Perfection,  a  heavenly 
calm,  with  a  consciousness  of  entire  purity,  over-spread  my  heart, 
and  a  light  like  day-dawn  beamed  upon  my  placid  soul.  I 
exclaimed,  in  sweet  amaze,  "  Why,  if  this  be  Christian  perfection, 
which  Mr.  Wesley  describes, — if  this  be  the  true  Scriptural 
view,  —  then  I  have  it ;  I  do  enjoy  this  very  thing.     The  blood  of 

*  True,  but  in  a  very  different  sense.  Indwelling  sin  implies  desire  strug- 
gling for  gratification.  Temptation  in  a  holy  heart  occasions  o.  feeling  of 
aversion  towards  the  forbidden  object  which  it  is  solicited  to  regard  with 
favor.  —  Editor. 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION. 


177 


Jesus  Christ  has  cleansed  me  ! "  In  a  moment  it  occurred  to  my 
mind,  "  It  is  not  now  I  have  received  the  blessing,  but  at  that  period 
in  my  past  history  when  I  obtained  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  to 
my  adoption  into  the  family  of  God,  —  then  it  was,  God  gave  me 
more  than  I  asked,  —  a  clean  heart.  This  which  I  begin  now 
to  enjoy  must  be  the  testimony  of  the  Spirit,  relative  to  purity." 
1  Cor.  2 :  12.  "  Now  we  have  received,  not  the  spirit  of  the  world, 
but  the  Spirit  which  is  of  God,  that  we  might  know  the  things 
that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God ^ 

I  held  the  blessing  for  some  weeks  with  a  trembling  hand, 
and  confessed  with  a  faltering  tongue,  in  the  assembly  of  the 
saints,  what  God  had  wrought  in  my  soul.  The  more  frequently 
I  spoke  of  this  great  blessing,  confessing  it,  and  urging  others  to 
press  after  it,  the  clearer  my  evidence  became,  till  I  was 

"  Bold  to  declare  my  hallowing  God 
Hath  wrought  a  perfect  cure." 

Since  then  I  have  passed  through  many  fiery  trials  and  sore 
temptations;  have  frequently  been  unfaithful ;  and,  through  want 
of  watchfulness,  have  been  necessitated  to  come  again  and  again 
to  the  cleansing  blood  ;  yet  I  have  never  had  any  reason  to  doubt, 
that  when  the  Holy  Ghost  came  to  my  Jieart  as  a  witnessing 
Spirit,  he  came  as  a  purifying  Spirit  also. 

Such  was  my  own  experience.  Permit  me  to  say,  that, 
allowing  to  this  experience  the  most  extensive  application  of 
which  the  case  will  admit,  it  only  goes  to  illustrate  what  I  have 
elsewhere  admitted,  that  some  have  obtained  entire  purity  in  the 
moment  of  regeneration. 

Allow  me  to  comment  a  little  upon  my  humble  narrative,  as, 
perhaps,  I  am  the  fittest  person  to  remark  upon  the  dealings  of 
God  with  my  own  soul.  Previously  to  that  memorable  occasion, 
when  I  obtained  a  clear  sense  of  pardon,  I  had  enjoyed  many 
gracious  visitations  from  on  high.  A  defective  education  in 
theology  had  materially  embarrassed  my  decisions  respecting 
my  religious  state.  That  I  was  regenerated,  and  enjoyed  the 
influence  of  the  comforting  Spirit  on  my  heart,  at  the  period  in 
question,  I  cannot  now  reasonably  doubt.     But  I  did  not  under- 


178  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

stand  these  things.  Again  and  again  I  cast  away  my  confi- 
dence, and  relapsed  into  a  state  of  uncertainty.  At  length 
I  determined  upon  having  a  particular  time  and  place  which  I 
could  specify  in  connection  with  the  era  of  my  conversion.  There 
had  been  a  camp-meeting  a  few  miles  off,  which  I  attended. 
Many  were  saved  during  its  continuance,  and  the  fire  spread  into 
a  neighboring  village,  near  which  1  resided.  Numbers  of  my 
acquaintances  had  been  awakened,  and  saved  from  guilt  and  sin, 
in  a  remarkable  manner ;  they  were  instantaneously  converted. 
To  my  amazement,  they  could  point  to  the  precise  time  and 
place  where  they  were  born  again.  This  troubled  me.  After 
various  reasonings  and  conflicts,  I  formed  a  resolution  never  to 
rest  until  such  a  distinct  era  of  this  kind  was  realized  in  my 
own  experience,  so  that  another  revival  might  not  again  throw 
me  into  confusion.  This  I  therefore  sought,  with  strong  cries 
and  tears.  I  sought  salvation  as  if  I  never  had  enjoyed  it,  cast- 
ing aside  the  entire  of  past  experience,  as  good  for  nothing  but 
self-abasement  and  deep  humiliation  before  God.  The  Lord 
pitied  my  distressed  mind,  and,  in  great  mercy  to  me,  conde- 
scended to  hear  my  cry,  and  saved  me  to  the  uttermost.  "  Bless- 
ings came  in  clusters;"  more,  indeed,  than  my  ignorance  or 
weakness  of  faith  allowed  me  to  ask ;  the  ivitness  of  the  Spirit, 
purity  of  heart,  and  perfect  love^  which  cast  out  all  tormenting 
fear.  1  John  4:18.  I  then  obtained  a  clear  starting  point  for 
"glory,  honor,  immortality,  eternal  life;"  nor  did  I  alter  my 
course  a  single  point,  but  steered  straight  onward  for  the  port  of 
glory.  Like  a  sea  captain,  who  has  had  his  latitude  and  lon- 
gitude confirmed  by  lunar  observations,  with  the  addition  of  a 
fairer  and  steadier  breeze,  and  an  increase  of  sail,  and  with 
greater  certainty,  consequently  with  a  happier  soul,  I  pursued 
my  voyage  to  the  skies. 

Other  objections  to  this  doctrine  of  instantaneous  sanctifica- 
tion  have  been  faithfully  met  and  replied  to  by  Mr.  Fletcher. 
"  Should  you  ask  how  many  baptisms,  or  efTusions  of  the  sancti- 
fying Spirit,  are  necessary  to  cleanse  a  believer  from  all  sin,  I 
reply,  that  the  effect  of  a  sanctifying  truth  depending  upon  the 
ardor  of  the  faith  by  which  that  truth  is  embraced,  and  upon 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION.  179 

the  power  of  the  Spirit  with  which  it  is  applied,  I  should  betray  a 
want  of  modesty,  if  I  brought  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Gho^, 
and  the  energy  of  faith,  under  a  rule  which  is  not  expressly  laid 
down  in  the  Scriptures.  If  you  ask  your  physician  how  many 
doses  of  physic  you  must  take  before  all  the  crudities  of  your 
stomach  can  be  carried  off",  and  your  appetite  perfectly  restored, 
he  would  probably  answer  you,  that  this  depends  upon  the  nature 
of  those  crudities,  the  strength  of  the  medicine,  and  the  manner 
in  which  your  constitution  will  allow  it  to  operate ;  and  that,  in 
general,  you  must  repeat  the  dose,  as  you  can  bear,  till  the 
remedy  has  fully  answered  the  desired  end.  I  return  a  similar 
answer :  If  one  powerful  baptism  of  the  Spirit  seals  ymc  unto 
the  day  of  redemytion^  and  cleanses  you  from  all  (moral)  filthiness, 
so  much  the  better.  If  two,  or  more,  are  necessary,  the  Lord  can 
repeat  them ;  his  arm  is  not  shortened  that  it  cannot  save  ;  nor  is 
his  promise  of  the  Spirit  stinted.  He  says,  in  general,  '  Whjoso- 
ever  ivill,  let  him  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely.''  ^  If  ye,  being 
evil,  knoiv  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children,  how  much 
more  will  your  Heavenly  Father '  [who  is  goodness  itself]  '  give 
his  Holy^  [sanctifying]  'Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him!*  I  may, 
however,  venture  to  say,  in  general,  that,  before  we  can  rank 
among  perfect  Christians,  we  must  receive  so  much  of  the  truth 
and  Spirit  of  Christ  by  faith,  as  to  have  the  pure  love  of  God 
and  man  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts,  by  the  Holy  Ghost  given 
unto  us  ;  and  to  be  filled  with  the  meek  and  lowly  mind  which 
was  in  Christ.  And  if  one  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  one  bright 
manifestation  of  the  sanctifying  truth,  so  empties  us  of  self  as 
to  fill  us  with  the  mind  of  Christ,  and  with  pure  love,  we  are 
undoubtedly  Christians  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word." 

In  the  above,  you  have  found,  I  trust,  full  and  satisfactory 
answers  to  your  questions.  Proceed  a  little  further,  and  see 
how  this  judicious  divine  meets  your  other  objections  :  "  From 
my  soul,  I  therefore  subscribe  to  the  answer  which  a  great  divine 
makes  to  the  following  objection :  '  But  some  who  are  newly 
justified  do  come  up  to  this  (Christian  perfection) ;  what,  then, 
will  you  say  to  these  ?  '  Mr.  Wesley  replies,  with  great  pro^ 
priety,  *  If  they  really  do,  I  will  say  they  are  sanctified,  saved 


180  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

from  all  sin  in  that  moment ;  and  that  they  need  never  lose  what 
God  has  given  them,  or  feel  sin  any  more.  But,  certainly,  this 
is  an  exempt  case.  It  is  otherwise  with  the  generality  of  those 
who  are  justified.  They  feel  in  themselves,  more  or  less,  pride, 
anger,  self-will,  and  a  heart  bent  to  backsliding.  And  till  they 
have  gradually  mortified  these,  they  are  not  fully  renewed  in 
love.  God  usually  gives  a  considerable  time  for  men  to  receive 
light,  to  grow  in  grace,  to  do  and  suffer  his  will,  before  they  are 
either  justified  or  sanctified.  But  he  does  not  invariably  adhere 
to  this.  Sometimes  he  cuts  short  his  work.  He  does  the  work 
of  many  years  in  a  few  weeks ;  perhaps  in  a  week,  a  day,  an 
hour.  He  justifies  and  sanctifies  both  those  who  have  done  or 
suflfered  nothing,  and  who  have  not  had  time  for  a  gradual 
growth,  either  in  light  or  grace.  And  may  he  not  do  what  he 
will  with  his  own  ?  Is  thine  eye  evil  because  he  is  good  ?  It 
need  not  therefore  be  proved  by  forty  texts  of  Scripture,  either 
that  most  men  are  perfected  in  love  at  last,  or  that  there  is  a 
gradual  work  of  God  in  the  soul ;  and  that,  generally  speaking, 
it  is  a  long  time,  even  many  years,  before  sin  is  destroyed.  All 
this  we  know ;  but  we  know,  likewise,  that  God  may,  with  man's 
good  leave !  cut  short  his  work  in  whatever  degree  he  pleases, 
and  do  the  work  of  many  years  in  a  moment.  He  does  so  in 
many  instances.  And  yet  there  is  a  gradual  work,  both  before 
and  after  that  moment.  So  that  one  may  affirm  the  work  is 
gradual,  —  another,  it  is  instantaneous,  —  without  any  manner 
of  contradiction.'" 

Were  I  to  add  more,  it  would,  perhaps,  lessen  the  impression 
which  the  above  sentiments  are  so  well  calculated  to  make.  May 
God  kindle  the  reader's  "  spark  of  grace"  to  a  flame,  and  aug- 
ment his  "  drop  of  love"  to  a  river,  —  an  ocean ! 


CHAPTER  II. 

ENTIRE   SANCTIFICATION  A  DISTINCT   BLESSING. 

So  far  as  I  am  acquainted  with  the  Methodist  people,  both  in 
these  kingdoms  and  in  America,  they  do  hold  entire  sanctifica- 
Hon  to  be  an  after  work,  and  not  usually  given  in  the  same 
moment  with  justification.  That  sanctification  begins  when  we 
are  justified,  they  allow;  but  that  the  Holy  Ghost  always 
cleanses  the  soul  from  all  sin  "  in  the  moment  of  the  new  birth," 
they  do  not  admit. 

You  inquire,  "Why  do  you  make  such  broad  distinctions 
between  justification  and  sanctification  ? "  I  answer,  because 
the  Scriptures  make  such  distinctions.  The  terms  are  used  with 
a  distinct  meaning,  and  not  as  mere  synonyms.  The  one 
implies  what  God  does /or  us  ;  the  other,  what  he  works  in  us. 
Pardon  of  sin  is  the  sense  of  the  first ;  'purification  from  all  sin, 
the  meaning,  in  full,  of  the  latter.  You  say,  "  Are  we  not 
regenerated  the  moment  we  are  justified  ?  and  what  is  regene- 
ration but  making  a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus ;  old  things 
having  passed  away,  and  all  things  become  new  ?  2  Cor.  5  :  17. 
And  is  this  anything  short  of  sanctification  ?  Are  we  not, 
therefore,  cleansed  from  all  sin  when  we  are  justified  ? "  To 
this  I  reply.  If  you  "  aim  at  being  critical,"  you  must  not  con- 
found regeneration  with  justification,  any  more  than  with  sanc- 
tification. Justification  is  to  account  just,  and  implies,  in  theol- 
ogy, pardon  and  deliverance  from  cmidemnation,  through  faith  in 
the  merits  of  Christ ;  regeneration  is  to  renew,  or  make  new,  and 
implies,  the  "  new  birth,''  or  a  "  new  creature,''  as  expressed  by 
our  Lord  and  St.  Paul.  , 

That  we  are    regenerated  the  moment  we  are  justified  is 
admitted :  but,  you  will  readily  perceive,  one  imports  an  act  of 
16 


182  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

God's  sovereign  mercy  towards  the  sinner ;  the  other,  a  work 
wrought  by  God  in  the  sinner.  Each,  then,  has  its  distinct 
meaning  and  application. 

"But,"  you  inquire,  "will  you  persuade  me  that  sanctification 
can  be  wanting  when  we  are  thus  regenerated  ?  "  No,  no  more 
than  I  would  attempt  to  "persuade"  you  that  day  has  not 
begun,  although  the  night  has  departed.  But,  surely,  I  might 
be  allowed  the  opinion,  without  contradicting  my  own  admission, 
that  there  is  a  great  difference  between  morning-dawn  and  sun- 
rise, —  between  sunrise  and  the  heat  and  brilliancy  of  noon-day. 
Sanctification,  I  allow,  is  inseparably  connected  with  justifica' 
tion  and  regeneration;  it  exists  with  these  as  the  light  of  morn- 
ing coexists  with  day ;  but  eiitire  sanctification  is  usually  an 
after-work,  and  differs  from  its  commencement  in  regeneration 
as  sunrise  differs  from  the  morning  dawn, — as  the  blaze  and  glory 
of  noon  differ  from  sunrise.  In  this  respect,  then,  we  may  say, 
with  the  inspired  penman,  "  The  path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining 
light,  which  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day." 

You  add :  "  Indeed,  I  heard  you  myself  make  some  admis- 
sions, in chapel,  in  favor  of  my  sentiments."     I  did  so; 

and  show  me  a  person  who,  since  his  regeneration,  has  rejoiced 
everm&re,  prayed  ivithout  ceasing,  giving  thanks  to  God  for  every- 
thing;  who  has  always,  since  then,  enjoyed  that  ^^ perfect  love 
which  casteth  out  fear ;"  then  I  should  have  no  hesitancy  in  sup- 
posing that  such  an  one  was  sanctified  entirely  throughout  soul, 
body,  and  spirit,  in  the  moment  of  his  regeneration  ;  but  I  would 
exhort  him  to  press  after  higher  degrees  both  of  holiness  and 
love ;  assuring  him  that  this  is  his  privilege,  not  only  through 
time,  but  throughout  eternity. 

But  plain  matter  of  fact  shows  that  it  is  not  thus  with  the 
vast  majority  of  Christians;  —  even  those  who  are  really  such; 
—  of  whose  conversion  we  have  no  doubt.  How  is  it  with 
yourself?  Has  the  blood  of  Christ  cleansed  you  from  all  sin? 
Does  it  nx)w  cleanse  you  ?  Do  you  doubt  ?  But  do  you  enter- 
tain any  doubts  whether  you  are  now  in  a  state  of  regeneration  ? 
If  not,  then,  it  is  clear,  you  yourself  possess  the  one  without  the 
other,  —  regeneration,  without  entire  sanctification.     Are  you 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION    A    DISTINCT    BLESSING.  183 

sure  this  was  not  the  case  "  in  the  moment"  of  your  "  regenera- 
tion "  ?  This,  I  am  aware,  is  reducing  the  matter  down  to  a 
question  of  personal  experience ;  nor  will  you,  I  hope,  object  to 
this  ;  because  you  are  too  well  acquainted  with  these  deep  things 
of  God  to  suppose  they  are  to  be  considered  entirely  apart  from, 
or  independent  of.  Christian  experience. 

You  inquire,  "  Can  you  give  me  any  satisfactory  reason  why 
we  are  not  all  cleansed  from  all  sin,  the  moment  we  are  justi- 
fied ? "  I  know  not  that  I  can.  I  only  appeal  to  "  plain  matter 
of  fact."  The  causes  may  be  various,  as  are  the  education  and 
temperament  of  men.  Much  may  depend  upon  the  degree  of 
penitential  sorrow  or  faith  exercised  by  the  believing  penitent. 

You  go  on  :  "  Read,  my  brother.  Acts  4 :  31 — 33,  and  tell  me 
whether  you  doubt  these  happy  primitive  believers  were  made 
perfect  in  love  just  then.  Do  you  pause  ?  Why  not,  then,  at 
once  admit  that  entire  sanctification  coexists  with  justification  ? 
If  in  their  case,  why  should  it  not  be  thus  with  all  new  con- 
verts ?  " 

I  dare  not  quibble^  else  I  would  perplex  your  questions  by 
demanding  proof.  I  prefer,  however,  to  reply :  I  have  already 
admitted,  in  part,  what  you  claim ;  —  that  it  is  not  improbable 
some  new  converts  (and  I  think  I  have  known  some  myself) 
are  entirely  cleansed  from  sin  in  the  moment  of  justification. 
But  I  must  beg  leave  to  assert,  that  the  experience  of  a  vast 
number  of  new  converts,  as  well  as  that  of  old  Christians,  goes 
to  show  that  this  is  not  God's  usual  method.  He  pardons  and 
regenerates  all  who  truly  repent,  and  unfeignedly  believe  the 
Gospel ;  afterwards,  he  reveals  unto  them  the  remaining  corrup- 
tions of  their  nature ;  when,  after  feeling  a  painful  conviction  of 
want  of  conformity  to  God,  deep  humiliation  for  the  same,  and 
earnest  desires  after  purity,  they  are  enabled,  at  length,  to  put 
forth  that  faith  by  which  the  apostle  says  we  are  purified,  and 
cleansed  from  all  unrighteousness. 

As  it  respects  those  believers  of  the  primitive  church  to  which 
you  have  directed  my  attention,  I  allow,  with  Mr.  Fletcher,  that 
"  it  is  not  improbable  that  God,  to  open  the  dispensation  of  the 
Spirit  in  a  manner  which  might  fix  the  attention  of  all  ages 


184  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

upon  its  importance  and  glory,  permitted  the  whole  body  of 
believers  to  take  an  extraordinary  turn  into  the  Canaan  of  per- 
fect love,  and  to  show  the  world  the  admirable  fruit  which  grows 
there ;  as  the  spies  sent  by  Joshua  took  a  turn  into  the  good 
land  of  promise  before  they  were  settled  in  it,  and  brought  from 
thence  the  bunch  of  grapes  which  astonished  and  spirited  up  the 
Israelites  who  had  not  yet  crossed  Jordan."  Now,  while  I  fully 
agree  with  the  above  admissions  of  this  eminent  divine,  I  also 
heartily  concur  with  other  qualifying  sentiments,  which  stand 
connected  with  the  same  passage:  "It  may  be  asked  here, 
whether  the  multitude  of  them  that  believed,  in  those  happy  days, 
were  all  perfect  in  love.  I  answer,  that,  if  pure  love  had  cast 
out  all  selfishness  and  sinful  fear  from  their  hearts,  they  were 
undoubtedly  made  perfect  in  love  ;  but,  as  God  does  not  usually 
remove  the  plague  of  indwelling  sin  till  it  has  been  discovered 
and  lamented,  —  and,  as  we  find  in  the  two  next  chapters  an 
account  of  Ananias  and  his  wife,  and  of  the  partiality  and  selfish 
murmuring  of  some  believers,  —  it  seems  that  those  chiefly  who 
before  were  strong  in  the  grace  of  their  dispensation  arose  then 
into  sinless  fathers  ;  and  that  the  first  love  of  other  believers  was 
so  bright  and  powerful,  for  a  time,  that  little  children  had,  or 
seemed  to  have,  the  strength  of  young  men,  and  young  men  the 
grace  of  fathers.  And,  in  this  case,  the  account  which  St. 
Luke  gives  of  the  primitive  believers  ought  to  be  taken  with 
some  restriction.  Thus,  while  many  of  them  were  perfect  in 
love,  many  might  have  the  imperfection  of  their  love  only  cov- 
ered over  with  a  land-flood  of  peace  and  joy  in  believing.  And, 
in  this  case,  what  is  said  of  their  being  of  one  heart  and  mind, 
and  of  having  all  things  in  common,  &c.,  and  great  grace  resting 
upon  them  all,  may  only  mean,  that  the  harmony  of  love  had 
not  yet  been  broken,  and  that  none  had  yet  betrayed  any  of  that 
uncharitableness  for  which  Christians,  in  after  times,  became  so 
conspicuous." 

You  should  also  remember,  that  the  memorable  occasion  to 
which  you  have  directed  my  attention  was  the  second  great 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  first  is  recorded  in  the 
second  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles ;  —  all  who  were  in 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION    A    DISTINCT    BLESSING.  185 

that  upper  room  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  immedi- 
ately afterwards  thousands  were  awakened  and  converted.  Now, 
it  is  not  stated  that  these  were  all  "  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost." 
But,  shortly  after,  Peter  and  John  were  going  up  to  the  temple 
to  pray.  Peter,  beholding  a  cripple  sitting  at  the  gate  that  was 
called  Beautiful,  turned  and  healed  him.  The  multitude,  see- 
ing this,  ran  together ;  —  all  were  astonished  to  behold  the  man 
upon  whom  the  miracle  had  been  wrought.  Peter  seized  this 
opportunity  of  honoring  his  Lord,  and  preached  unto  them  Jesus. 
The  great  power  of  God  was  present,  and  about  fiye  thousand 
persons  ^' believed  ;^^  —  that  is,  were  justified  through  faith  in 
Christ.  But  it  is  not  stated  they  were,  at  that  time,  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  that  came  as  a  second  blessing,  quite  distin- 
guishable from  the  first.  The  next  day  they  assembled  together 
to  hear  an  account  of  Peter's  trial  and  acquittal.  At  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  address  of  Peter  and  his  companions,  the  entire 
church  broke  forth  into  thanksgiving  and  prayer.  Suddenly 
"  the  place  was  shaken  where  they  were  assembled  together,  and 
they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost ;"  —  a  proof  they  were 
not  all  filled  before.  A  large  number  of  the  eight  thousand  con- 
verts saved  since  the  hour  of  the  first  outpouring  of  the  Spirit, 
in  the  upper  room,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  were  now  made  per- 
fect in  love,  and  filled  with  God.       > 

The  following  passage  is  worthy  of  note  :  "  Wherefore,  layirig 
aside  all  malice,  and  all  guile,  and  all  hypocrisies,  and  envies, 
and  all  evil-speakings,  as  new-born  babes,  desire  the  sincere  milk 
of  the  word,  that  ye  may  grow  thereby.^''  Here,  you  will  observe, 
the  apostle  calls  these  persons  '■'■  new-born  babes;''"'  —  persons 
lately  "  born  of  Gqdy  These  he  exhorts  to  lay  aside  all  malice, 
guile,  hypocrisies,  envies,  and  evil-speakings.  Now,  they  could  not 
lay  aside  what  they  did  not  possess.  The  elements  of  all  these 
sinful  dispositions  existed,  it  would  seem,  in  their  hearts,  and 
awaited  a  fit  occasion  to  develop  themselves.  Yet  he  calls  these 
babes  new-born  ;  —  really  regenerated  persons  !  St.  Paul,  when 
writing  to  a  similar  class  of  persons,  calls  them  "  babes  in  Christ.'' 
If  this  means  anything,  it  surely  implies  that  they  were  regen- 
erate persons ;  yet  these,  it  appears,  were,  in  some  degree,  "  car- 
16=^ 


186  REVIVAL     MISCELLANIES. 

nal;'^ — that  is,  they  were  not  wholly  cleansed  from  sin.  Though 
they  were  "  babes  in  Christy'  yet  the  remains  of  the  carnal  mind 
had  not  been  entirely  destroyed.  They  had  yet.  in  their  hearts 
strong  propensities  to  ^^ strifes  and  divisions"  and  manifested 
them,  it  is  to  be  feared,  too  strongly  in  their  outward  conduct. 
But  these  evils  were  held  in  so  much  restraint,  that,  in  the  opin- 
ion of  an  inspired  apostle,  these  persons  had  not  forfeited  their 
title  to  being  ^^  babes  in  Christ."  I  think  1  Thessalonians  5 : 
23  will  set  the  matter  in  a  yet  clearer  light :  "  And  the  very  God 
of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly  ;  and  I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit 
and  soul  and  body  be  preserved  blameless  unto  the  coming  of  our 
Imd  Jesus  Christ"  Does  not  this  imply,  1st.  That  they  were 
then  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  justified  state  ?  Without  justifica- 
tion, you  are  aware,  there  can  be  neither  regeneration  nor  sane- 
tification  ;  —  no,  not  even  in  part.  2nd.  That  sanctification  had 
commenced  in  their  souls  ?  This  is  clear,  as  he  prays  for  its 
completion  :  "  The  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly  ;"  — 
you  are  yet  but  sanctified  in  part ;  —  in  such  a  state,  perhaps, 
as  Mr.  Fletcher  supposes  many  of  the  Christian  converts  to  have 
been  shortly  after  the  day  of  Pentecost :  —  "  Many  might  have 
had  the  imperfection  of  their  nature  covered  over  by  a  land-flood 
of  peace  and  joy  in  believing."  These  Thessalonian  converts, 
then,  were  but  partly  sanctified;  — but  ^^ new-born  babes."  He 
prays  that  they  might  be  sanctified  wholly ;  and  that  their  "  whole 
spirit  and  soul  and  body"  might  ^^  be  preserved  blameless  unto 
the  coming  of  pur  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  And  adds,  "  Faithful 
is  he  that  calleth  you,  who  also  will  do  it."  As  much  as  to  say, 
"  This  great  work  has  not  been  carried  to  the  highest  state  of 
perfection  in  your  soul ;  but  it  is  the  intention  of  God  to  perfect, 
in  your  soul,  body,  and  spirit,  the  work  which  he  has  so  gra- 
ciously begun."  Consider  also  2  Corinthians  7 :  1.  ^'■Haviiig 
therefore  these  promises,  dearly  beloved,  let  us  cleanse  ourselves 
from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting  holiness  in 
the  fear  of  God." 

^'Dearly  beloved,"  —  ihis  is  tender;  it  shows,  also,  how  confi- 
dent the  apostle  was  that  they  were  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
grace  of  God.     "  Having  these  promises,"  such  as  those  men- 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION    A    DISTINCT    BLESSING.  187 

tioned  in  the  three  verses  which  conclude  the  previous  chapter, 
"  Let  us  cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and 
spirit  ;  "  a  state  not  at  all  consistent  with  entire  holiness  ;  — 
inward  defilement,  or  propensities,  which,  if  yielded  to,  would 
defile  the  spirit,  and  pollute  the  body.  "  Perfecting  holiness  in 
the  fear  of  God  ;''  having  obtained  that  holiness  without  which 
no  man  can  see  the  Lord,  endeavor  to  perfect  it ;  that  is,  to 
carry  it  forward  to  as  high  a  degree  of  perfection  as  it  is  possible 
to  arrive  at  while  in  the  body. 

I  consider  these  few  passages  of  the  w^ord  of  God  as  good  and 
convincing  as  many.  They  establish  a  plain  doctrine  of  Chris- 
tian experience;  and  the  Bible  does  not  contradict  itself. 

A  passage  in  the  sermon  of  the  Rev.  Richard  Watson,  on 
Romans  8 :  16,  beautifully  true,  and  w^ell  expressed,  is  often 
brought  forward  by  those  who  deny  entire  sanctification  to  be  an 
after-work :  but  it  does  not  prove  their  point ;  neither  was  it  his 
intention,  I  am  persuaded,  to  convey  any  such  meaning.  He 
designed  to  guard  us  against /oZ^e  impressions,  as  substitutes  for 
the  "  witness  of  the  Spirit,^'  and  not  to  teach  that  the  believing 
penitent  is  always  wholly  sanctified  in  the  moment  of  justifica- 
tion. He  says  :  "  Where  the  Spirit  of  God  dwells,  as  the  Spirit 
of  adoption,  he  dwells  as  the  great  author  of  regeneration,  as  the 
source  of  all  holy  principles  and  feelings ;  —  our  justification  and 
sanctification  are  thus  inseparable.  The  Spirit  of  God  dwells 
with  all  his  graces,  when  he  dwells  at  all. 

'  He  sheds  abroad  a  Saviour'3  love, 
And  this  enkindles  ours  ! ' 

"  He  enables  us  to  love  God,  by  showing  that  God  loves  us ; 
and  thus,  when  he  comes  to  the  heart  of  a  believer,  as  a  wit- 
nessing and  comforting  Spirit,  he  comes  as  the  Spirit  of  holi- 
ness." 

That  you  have  misapprehended  his  meaning  is  evident,  as  the 
following  quotation  from  the  works  of  this  great  divine  will 
show :  "  That  a  distinction  exists  between  a  regenerate  state 
and  a  state  of  entire  holiness,  will  be  generally  allowed.  Regen- 
eration, Ave  have  seen,  is  concomitant  with  justification;  but  the 


188  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

apostles,  in  addressing  the  body  of  believers  in  the  Christian 
church,  to  whom  they  wrote  their  epistles,  set  before  them, 
both  in  the  prayers  they  offered  on  their  behalf,  and  in  the 
exhortations  they  administer,  a  still  higher  degree  of  deliver- 
ance from  sin,  as  well  as  a  higher  growth  in  Christian  virtues. 
Two  passages  only  need  be  quoted  to  prove  this :  1  Thessaloni- 
ans  5 :  23 ;  2  Corinthians  7 :  1." 

Your  objections  to  this  doctrine,  dear  reader,  only  prove  that 
you  yourself  do  not  enjoy  purity  of  heart.  Yet  you  make 
admissions  which  are  of  no  small  importance  to  my  argument. 
You  allow  that  the  blood  of  Christ  has  not  cleansed  you  from 
all  sin ;  that,  neither  at  the  time  of  your  conversion  nor  since, 
have  you  been  perfectly  conscious  of  such  a  state  of  soul ;  and 
yet,  you  "  have  no  doubt  that  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  has  par- 
doned all  your  sins,"  and  that  your  "  present  state  is  that  of 
justification."  Surely,  my  brother,  were  you  to  "reason  from 
analogy"  till  doomsday,  the  voice  of  your  own  experience  must 
ever  cry  down  your  "  reasonings,"  even  from  their  "  loftiest  cli- 
maxes," to  listen  to  its  convincing  testimony. 

You  enjoy,  then,  a  sense  of  pardon  and  regeneration  without 
entire  sanctification ;  why  may  it  not  be  wanting  in  the  moment 
of  regeneration  ? 

Consider  the  following  passages  :  "  Being  justified  by  faith  " 
(Romans  5:  1.)  ^'Purifying  their  hearts  by  faith  "  (Acts  15: 
9.)  Observe,  here  are  two  distinct  blessings  recognized,  pardon 
and  purity ;  both  of  which  are  obtained  by  faith,  —  the  only 
medium  of  salvation  revealed  in  the  New  Testament.  In  that 
memorable  prayer  of  our  Lord,  in  John  17,  we  have  those 
words  :  "  Sanctify  them  through  thy  truth :  thy  loord  is  truth" 
But  afterwards,  to  Saul  of  Tarsus,  he  said :  "  Sanctified  by  faith 
that  is  in  me."  We  are  sanctified,  then,  through  the  truth  ;  that 
is,  by  a  belief  o(  the  truth;  —  for,  until  a  man  believe  a  state  of 
entire  sanctification  attainable,  he  cannot,  it  is  reasonable  to 
suppose,  obtain  such  a  great  salvation ;  —  by  a  belief  of  the 
truth ;  —  truth  apprehended  and  appropriated  by  faith.  Hence 
our  Saviour  says :  "  Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  lohat  things  soever 
ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION    A    DISTINCT    BLESSING.  189 

have  them.''''  Mark  11:  24.  There  is  no  justification  but  by- 
faith,  —  no  sanctification  or  purity  without  faith.  Faith  is  not  a 
passive,  but  an  active,  state  of  the  mind.  Active  faith  is  always 
effectual.  When  genuine,  it  is  always  distinct,  and  put  forth  for 
some  particular  object.  Bartimeus  cried,  "  Jesus,  thou  Son  of 
David,  have  mercy  on  me !  "  Eyesight  was  what  he  wanted, 
and  his  faith  was  fixed  upon  Christ  for  the  gift.  "  Lord,  that  I 
may  receive  my  sight." 

"Jesus  said  unto  him,  Receive  thy  sight  —  thy  faith  hath 
saved  thee ;  and  immediately  he  received  his  sight,  and  followed 
him,  glorifying  God." 

The  leper,  who  fell  down  and  worshipped  Jesus,  had  faith  for 
a  particular  blessing  —  to  be  cleansed  from  his  leprosy  :  "iorc?, 
if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean.''' 

^^Iwill,  he  thou  clean,'''  was  the  voice  of  mercy  which  met  the 
request  of  faith. 

The  woman  who  had  an  issue  of  blood  twelve  years  came 
behind  him,  saying,  "  If  I  may  but  touch  his  garment,  I  shall  be 
whole."  This  was  faith,  and  for  that  distinct  blessing  she 
reached  out  her  trembling  hand;  but  so  jostled  and  pressed 
was  that  hand  by  the  crowd,  she  could  but  just  touch  the 
hem  of  his  garment.  It  was  enough  —  she  was  healed  in  a 
moment ;  and  the  approving  voice  of  her  Lord  fell  upon  her  ear, 
and  quieted  all  her  agitations  :  "  Daughter,  be  of  good  comfort ; 
thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole."  A  favorite  question  of  our 
Lord,  to  those  who  desired  any  distinguished  mercy,  was,  "^e- 
lieve  ye  thxit  I  am  able  to  do  this  ? "  —  not  everything  that  you 
can  think  of,  for  that  is  not  essential  to  the  cure  ;  but  ivhether  I 
am  able  to  do  this.  ''  If  thou  canst  believe,  all  things  are  pos- 
sible to  him  that  believeth,"  was  another  saying  of  our  Lord.  A 
particular  faith  for  a  particular  blessing  was  what  Christ  re- 
quired, and  that  which  he  honored.  This  sort  of  faith,  when 
exercised  for  justification  or  sanctification,  is  denominated  by  the 
apostle  saving  faith,  or  the  faith  through  which  we  are  saved. 
Ephes.  2 :  8.  Pardon  and  purity  are  two  distinct  things,  for  the 
obtaining  of  which,  it  would  appear,  there  are  two  distinct  acts 
of  faith  required.     In  other  words,  faith  is  the  cotidition;  and 


190  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

where  the  condition  is  not  complied  with,  the  blessing  is  with- 
held. More  might  be  said,  but  I  know  not  that  I  could  set  this 
matter  in  a  clearer  light ;  and  there  is  a  danger,  you  know,  of 
darkening  counsel  by  a  multitude  of  words.  Please  to  observe 
further:  The  state  of  mind  which  usually  accompanies  thai 
faith  which  obtains  pardon,  differs  widely  from  those  feelings 
which  generally  attend  purifying  faith.  The  contrast,  in  fact, 
is  as  great  as  what  is  observable  in  those  two  fine  hymns  in  the 
Wesleyan  Hymn  Book  :  — 

"  Father,  —  if  I  may  call  thee  so,  — 
Regard  my  fearful  heart's  desire  ; 
Remove  this  load  of  guilty  woe, 
Nor  let  me  in  my  sins  expire ! 

•*  I  tremble  lest  the  wrath  divine, 

Which  bruises  now  my  sinful  soul, 
Should  bruise  this  wretched  soul  of  mine 
Long  as  eternal  ages  roll. 

"  To  thee  my  last  distress  I  bring : 

The  heightened  fear  of  death  I  find : 
The  tyrant,  brandishing  his  sting. 
Appears,  and  hell  is  close  behind ! 

**  I  deprecate  that  death  alone. 

That  endless  banishment  from  thee ! 
O  save,  and  give  me  to  thy  Son, 

Who  trembled,  wept,  and  bled  for  me  !  " 


Come,  Holy  Ghost,  all-quickening  fire, 
Come,  and  in  me  delight  to  rest ; 

Drawn  by  the  lure  of  strong  desire, 
O  come  and  consecrate  my  breast ! 

The  temple  of  my  soul  prepare. 

And  fix  thy  sacred  presence  there  ! 

'  If  now  thy  influence  I  feel. 
If  now  in  thee  begin  to  live. 
Still  to  my  heart  thyself  reveal ; 
Give  me  thyself,  forever  give  ; 
A  point  my  good,  a  drop  my  store, 
Eager  I  ask,  I  pant  for  more. 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION    A    DISTINCT    CLESSING.  191 

"  Eager  for  thee  I  ask  and  pant ; 
So  strong  the  principle  divine, 
Carries  me  out  with  sweet  constraint, 
Till  all  my  hallowed  soul  is  thine  ; 
Plunged  in  the  Godhead's  deepest  sea, 
And  lost  in  thine  immensity." 

A  sense  of  the  vengeance  due  to  sin,  and  an  intense  desire 
for  forgiveness,  are,  as  you  will  perceive,  the  predominant  feel- 
ings of  the  one  ;  a  consciousness  of  present  pardon,  attended  by 
an  eager  desire  for  purity,  prevails  with  the  other.  The  faith 
of  the  former  looks  towards  the  Lamb  for  pardoning  mercy, 
while  that  of  the  latter  longs  for  perfect  purity,  and  grasps  at 
all  the  fulness  of  God. 

Many  are  the  anxieties  and  sorrows  which  distract  the  peni- 
tent sinner.  In  most  cases,  it  is  quite  as  much  as  he  can  do  to 
rely  by  faith  upon  the  merits  of  Christ  for  pardon.  Faith, 
exercised  for  purity,  is  much  less  embarrassed,  in  the  case  of  one 
seeking  full  salvation.  Hence,  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  sup- 
pose, that  if  the  faith  by  which  we  are  purified  requires  a  dis- 
tinct exercise  of  the  mind,  it  is  therefore  not  confounded  with 
the  faith  which  obtains  pardon,  but  is  rather  an  after  effort. 
Hence,  perfect  purity  is  not  usually  given  with  justification. 
If  salvation  from  indwelling  sin  becomes  the  happy  experience 
of  any  one,  he  is  bound,  I  should  suppose,  to  profess  it,  on  all 
proper  occasions.  But  if  the  blessing  has  been  received  as  dis- 
tinct and  separate  from  justification,  he  is  enabled  to  do  so  with 
greater  satisfaction,  both  to  himself  and  others.  "  If  jewels," 
says  an  old  divine,  "  are  bundled  up  together,  their  riches  and 
worth  are  hid  ;  they  must  be  viewed  and  considered  one  by  one, — 
then  their  value  will  appear."  And,  I  may  add,  not  unfrequently 
the  history  of  each  jewel  is  particularly  interesting. 

I  have  met  with  very  few  (and  I  have  conversed  with  many 
thousands  of  Christians,  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic)  who  pro- 
fessed to  have  received  entire  holiness  in  the  same  moment  with 
justification,  or  regeneration.  There  is  nothing  more  common 
than  to  meet  with  persons  who  profess  to  enjoy  a  sense  of  jus- 
tification, consequently  regeneration,  who  candidly  admit  they 
do  not  enjoy  purity,  or  entire  sanctification.     They  freely  admit 


192  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

that,  though  sin  has  not  dominion  over  them,  yet  its  existence 
in  the  heart  is  a  matter  of  humiliating  and  sorrowful  conscious- 
ness. To  retain  perfect  purity  requires>  a  continual  acting  of 
faith  upon  the  leading  promises  of  the  Gospel.  Those  who  are 
faithful  to  justifying  grace  have  to  apply  to  the  cleansing  blood 
more  frequently  than  in  cases  where  only  a  fear  of  having 
sinned  impels  the  soul  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling  for  pardon. 
The  temptations  to  doubt  concerning  one's  purity  are  much 
more  intricate  and  perplexing  than  those  regarding  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins.  The  most  holy  and  devoted  persons  are  more  fre- 
quently compelled  to  approach  the  cleansing  blood  by  faith,  — 
for  the  evidence  of  purity,  than  for  that  of  pardon.  Such  an 
approach  is  made  through  the  exercise  of  a  distinct  and  naked 
faith,  in  a  distinct  and  naked  promise ;  —  such  as,  ^^What things 
soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pi'ay,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye 
shall  have  them.  All  things  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  prayer^ 
believing,  ye  shall  receive."  By  a  naked  faith,  I  mean,  with  Mr. 
Fletcher,  "a  faith  independent  of  all  feelings,  in  a  naked  prom- 
ise;—  bringing  nothing  with  you  but  a  careless,  distracted, 
tossed,  hardened  heart, — just  such  a  heart  as  you  have  got 
now ;  "  —  not  unlike  what  Lady  Maxwell  describes  :  "  I  have 
often  acted  faith  for  sanctification,"  said  that  holy  woman,  "  in 
the  absence  of  all  feeling,  and  it  has  always  diffused  an  inde- 
scribable sweetness  through  my  soul."  Those,  I  think,  who 
have  been  brought  to  seek  this  blessing  after  having  been 
made  partakers  of  pardoning  love,  and  have  obtained  it  by  a 
separate  act  of  faith,  find  it,  generally,  easier  to  believe,  and 
have  a  greater  aptitude  to  exercise  this  particular  faith,  than 
those  who  received  it  with  regeneration.  Yet,  why  you  should 
insist  upon  instantaneous  purity,  in  the  moment  of  regeneration, 
and  deny  it  to  the  sincere  adult  believer,  I  cannot  divine.  I  fear 
your  mind  is  greatly  confused  upon  this  subject.  Endeavor,  my 
dear  friend,  to  get  clear  and  consistent  views  upon  the  subject. 

I  will  not  conceal  the  pleasure  I  feel,  because  I  believe  you 
are  earnestly  panting  after /wZZ  conformity  to  God.  If,  however, 
you  continue  to  entertain  the  opinion  that  the  separation  of  sin 
from  the  soul  is  a  gradual,  not  an  instantaneous  work,  it  will 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION    A    DISTINCT    BLESSING.  193 

not  only  perplex  your  mind,  but  much  retard  the  work  of  God 
in  your  soul.  "  Constant  experience  shows,"  says  Mr.  Wesley, 
"  the  more  earnestly  believers  expect  this,  the  more  swiftly  and 
steadily  does  the  gradual  work  of  God  go  on  in  their  souls  ;  the 
more  watchful  they  are  against  all  sin ;  the  more  careful  they  are 
to  grow  in  grace,  and  the  more  punctual  their  attendance  on  all 
the  ordinances  of  God  ;  —  whereas,  just  the  contrary  effects  are 
observed  whenever  this  expectation  ceases.  They  are  saved  by 
hope,  —  by  hope  of  a  total  change,  with  a  gradually  increasing 
salvation.  Destroy  this  hope,  and  the  salvation  stands  still,  or, 
rather,  decreases  daily.  Therefore,  whoever  will  advance  the 
gradual  change  in  believers,  should  insist  upon  the  instantaneous 
also." 

I  remember  reading  another  passage  in  the  writings  of  this 
eminent  divine,  which  I  think  may  be  of  use  to  you  at  this 
juncture  of  your  Christian  experience  :  "  Does  God  work  this 
great  work  in  the  soul  gradually  or  instantaneously  ?  Perhaps 
it  may  be  gradually  wrought  in  some.  I  mean  in  this  sense  : 
—  they  do  not  advert  to  the  particular  moment  wherein  sin 
ceased  to  be,  but  it  is  infinitely  desirable,  were  it  the  will  of 
God,  that  it  should  be  instantaneously ;  that  the  Lord  should 
destroy  sin  by  the  breath  of  his  mouth,  in  a  moment,  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye.  And  so  he  generally  does,  —  a  plain  fact, 
of  which  there  is  evidence  enough  to  satisfy  any  unprejudiced 
person.  Thou  therefore  look  for  it  every  moment,  in  the  way 
above  described ;  in  all  good  '  works,  whereunto  thou  art  cre- 
ated anew  in  Christ  Jesus.'  There  is  no  danger ;  you  can  be  no 
worse,  if  you  are  no  better,  for  that  expectation ;  for,  were  you 
to  be  disappointed  of  your  hope,  still  you  lose  nothing.  But 
you  shall  not  be  disappointed  of  your  hope  ;  it  will  come,  and 
will  not  tarry.  Look  for  it  every  day,  every  hour,  every  mo- 
ment. Why  not  this  hour  —  this  moment  ?  Certainly  you 
may  look  for  it  now,  if  you  believe  it  is  by  faith.  And  by  this 
token  you  may  surely  know  whether  you  seek  it  by  faith  or  by 
works.  If  by  works,  you  want  something  to  be  done  first,  before 
you  are  sanctified.  You  think,  I  must  first  be  or  do  thus  or 
thus.  Then  you  are  seeking  it  by  works  unto  this  day.  If  you 
17 


194  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES, 

seek  it  by  faith,  you  expect  it  as  you  are  ;  and  if  as  you  are, 
then  expect  it  now.  It  is  of  importance  to  observe  that  there 
is  an  inseparable  connection  between  these  three  points,  —  expect 
it  by  faith,  expect  it  as  you  are,  and  expect  it  now.  To  deny 
one,  is  to  deny  them  all.  To  allow  one,  is  to  allow  them  all. 
Do  you  believe  we  are  sanctified  by  faith  ?  Be  true  to  your 
principle,  and  look  for  the  blessing  just  as  you  are,  neither  better 
nor  worse ;  as  a  poor  sinner  that  has  still  nothing  to  pay,  nothing 
to  plead,  but  Christ  died.  And  if  you  look  for  it  as  you  are,  then 
expect  it  now  ;  stay  for  nothing.  Why  should  you  ?  Christ  is 
ready ;  and  he  is  all  you  want.  He  is  waiting  for  you ;  he  is 
at  the  door.     Let  your  inmost  soul  cry  out,  — 

'  Come  in,  come  in,  thou  heavenly  guest, 
Nor  hence  again  remove  ; 
But  sup  with  me,  and  let  the  feast 
Be  everlasting  love.'  " 

You  believe,  and  very  properly  too,  that. we  are  pardoned  in  a 
moment ;  because,  if  a  sinner  is  forgiven  before  death,  it  must 
be  "  in  a  moment :  "  or,  if  I  may  use  the  term  to  which  you 
object,  "  instantaneous : "  there  must,  in  the  nature  of  the  case, 
be  a  last  moment  when  he  is  still  unpardoned,  and  a  first  mo- 
ment when  he  is  pardoned.  But  we  claim  the  same  for  the 
believer,  with  regard  to  the  instantaneous  work  of  sanctification. 
The  argument  is  short :  If  sin  cease  before  death  (and  a  mo- 
ment after  would  be  too  late),  then  it  is  clear  it  must  cease  instant- 
anemtsly.  There  must  be  a  last  and  a  first  moment,  as  in  the 
case  of  a  justified  person.  This  is  bringing  the  matter  within  a 
very  narrow  compass,  as  most  controversial  points  should  be, 
but  it  is  most  plain.  The  approach  to  holiness  may,  indeed,  be 
gradual,  but  its  establishment  in  the  soul  must  take  place  in  a 
moment,  whether  in  the  article  of  death,  or  years  previously  to 
that  period.  If  God  can  cleanse  the  soul  a  moment  before 
death,  why  not  an  hour,  a  month,  a  year,  or  fifty  years  ?  That 
we  are  justified  by  faith,  and  sanctified  by  faith,  you  have 
already  seen.  If,  then,  the  instrumentality  be  the  same,  why 
not  the  effects  ?  If  we  are  pardoned  by  faith,  and  in  a  moment, 
why  not  purified  by  faith  in  a  moment  ? 


ENTIRE    SANCTIFICATION    A    DISTINCT    BLESSING.  195 

Perhaps  the  reader  asks,  "  How  do  you  account  for  the  fact 
that  so  few  of  the  Methodists  profess  to  receive,  or  enjoy,  the 
blessing  of  entire  sanctification  ?  "  I  cannot  answer  this  better 
than  in  the  words  of  Mr.  Fletcher  :  "  1st.  Because  they  do  not 
see  the  need  of  it ;  because  they  still  hug  some  accursed  thing ; 
or  because  the  burden  of  indwelling  sin  is  not  yet  become  intol- 
erable. They  make  shift  to  bear  it,  as  they  do  the  toothache, 
when  they  are  still  loth  to  have  a  rotten  tooth  pulled  out.  2d. 
If  they  are  ti'uly  willing  to  be  made  clean,  they  do  not  yet 
believe  that  the  Lord  both  can  and  will  make  them  clean,  or  that 
now  is  the  day  of  this  salvation.  And,  as  faith  inherits  the  promises 
of  God,  it  is  no  wonder  if  their  unbelief  misses  this  portion  of 
their  inheritance.  3d.  If  they  have  some  faith  in  the  promise 
that  the  Lord  can  and  will  circumcise  their  hearts,  that  they 
may  love  him  with  all  their  hearts,  yet  it  is  not  the  kind  or 
degree  of  faith  which  makes  them  willing  to  sell  all,  to  deny 
themselves,  faithfully  to  use  the  inferior  talent,  and  to  continue 
instant  in  prayer  for  this  very  blessing.  4th.  Frequently, 
also,  they  will  receive  God's  blessing  in  their  own  preconceived 
method,  and  not  in  God's  appointed  way.  Hence  God  suspends 
the  operation  of  his  sanctifying  Spirit,  till  they  humbly  confess 
their  obstinacy  and  false  wisdom,  as  well  as  their  unbelief,  and 
want  of  perfect  love.  It  may  be  with  the  root  of  sin  as  with  its 
fruit ;  some  souls  parley  many  years  before  they  can  be  per- 
suaded to  give  up  all  their  outward  sins,  and  others  part  with 
them  instantaneously.  You  may  compare  the  former  to  those 
besieged  towns  which  make  a  long  resistance,  and  the  latter 
resemble  those  fortresses  which  are  surprised  and  carried  by  a 
storm."  Kead  the  above  over  and  over  again;  perhaps  the 
specifications  may  include  some  one  or  more  of  your  own  hin- 
drances. 

In  relation  to  the  depth  of  conviction  necessary  to  entire  sanc- 
tification, I  know  of  no  particular  standard  laid  down  in  the 
Scriptures,  as  to  "  the  depth  of  our  convictions  of  indwelling  sin, 
in  order  to  obtain  deliverance  from  it."  One  thing  only  is  recog- 
nized in  the  New  Testament,  as  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
attainment  of  purity,  —  and  that  is  faith :    "  Purifying   their 


196  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

hearts  by  faith."  Acts  15 :  9.  "  Sanctified  by  faith."  Acts 
16 :  18.  If  there  be  time  and  opportunity,  Mr.  Wesley  thinks 
there  may  be  many  ^^  preparatory  feelings  ;^^  otherwise,  God 
may  sanctify  without  them.  Faith  is  the  only  revealed  condi- 
tion ;  but  that  must  be  sincere.  Faith  lays  hold  of  the  promises 
of  God,  and  puts  undoubting  co7ifidence  in  his  veracity.  Christ 
has  said,  "  What  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe 
that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them.^^  Mark  11 :  24. 
Observe,  "  desire  ;'^  this  is  an  indispensable  condition,  and  gen- 
uine faith  certainly  implies  it ;  without  it,  the  mind  is  dead  and 
motionless,  and  in  this  state  saving  faith  can  have  no  existence. 
Desire,  as  some  one  has  said,  is  to  the  soul  as  spurs  to  the  horse, 
as  sails  to  the  ship.  Desires  are,  among  all  classes  of  men,  the 
sails  of  the  mind,  by  which  they  are  carried  forward  to  that 
which  they  like  best.  When  "  desire  "  is  siiicere,  it  includes 
much,  —  all,  in  fact,  that  a  sanctifying  God  requires.  It 
is  like  thunder  and  rain,  it  always  comes  in  clouds,  —  clouds  of 
preparation.  If  you  have  desire,  you  are  prepared  ;  leave  all 
the  rest  to  the  Holy  Spirit ;  —  I  mean  as  to  the  "  depth,  painful- 
ness,  softness,  and  earnestness,''  of  your  heart-convictions.  These 
may  not  come  at  your  bidding ;  they  are  dependent  upon  numbei'- 
less  circumstances  ;  and  frequently  they  are  quite  independent 
of  anything  of  the  kind,  but  are  wrought  by  the  same  Spirit, 
immediately  and  independently,  as  it  pleases  him.  Only  show 
the  sincerity  of  that  "  desire,"  by  renouncing  and  forsaking 
everything  that  you  know  to  be  contrary  to  purity.  For,  be 
assured,  the  Holy  Ghost  never  sanctifies  a  heart  that  gives  indul- 
o-ence  to  sin.  To  this  desire,  in  accordance  with  the  promise, 
add  prayer,  —  whatever  "  ye  desire  ichen  ye  pray."  To  this  add 
faith  ;  that  is,  "  believe  that  ye  receive  ;  a  better  definition  of 
sanctifying  faith  you  could  not  find.  Then,  he  who  has  prom- 
ised, and  who  cannot  lie,  will  fulfil  the  ''desire"  of  your  heart, 
and  will  honor  your  faith,  —  ''and  ye  shall  have."  Christ  will 
honor  his  own  veracity,  and  will  stand  by  it,  to  the  very  uttermost 
claims  of  faith,  —  that  is,  till  you  are  cleansed  from  all  sin,  and 
filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God.  Never  forget  that  faith  is  the 
only  absolute  condition  of  obtaining  all  that  Christ  purchased  for 
you  on  Calvary  ;  and  that  you  may  now  be  saved  to  the  uttermost. 


CHAPTER  III. 

REVIVAL   PREACHING. 

Many  desire  a  revival,  but  they  are  unwilling  to  labor  for  it. 
I  know  an  animal  that  is  very  fond  of  fish,  but  would  rather  do 
without  them  than  wet  her  feet. 

I  remember  reading  of  a  certain  man,  who,  when  viewing  the 
vast  army  of  Antiochus,  said,  "  There  are  many  men,  but  few 
soldiers ;  many  mouths,  but  few  hands ;  "  "  many  mouths,"  —  to 
eat,  —  to  speak  well,  —  to  boast ;  "  but  few  hands,"  —  to  grasp 
the  sword,  —  to  fight,  —  to  conquer !  Many  that  could  talk  dar- 
ingly, but  few  to  fight  bravely.  Words  will  not  break  bones, 
like  swords.  It  is  written,  "  The  word  of  God  is  quick,  and 
powerful,  and  sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  piercing  even 
to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and 
marrow,  and  is  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the 
heart."  Heb.  4 :  12.  But  why  is  it  that  such  effects  do  not 
always  accompany  it  ?  Why  is  it  that  this  sword  with  two 
edges,  framed  so  that  it  may  cut  every  way  that  the  preacher 
may  choose  to  turn  it,  does  not  pierce  to  the  dividing  asunder 
of  soul  and  spirit  ?  Is  this  sword,  think  you,  wielded  usually 
with  an  energy  sufficient  to  do  such  execution  upon  souls  ?  It 
requires  a  skilful  hand  to  divide  the  joints  at  a  single  stroke,  or 
by  repeated  strokes  ;  and  a  decided  aim  to  break  or  perforate  the 
bones  so  as  to  reach  the  marrow.  The  hardest  parts  of  a  sinner 
are  as  powerless  to  resist  this  sharp  sword  as  the  softest ;  and  it 
penetrates  into  the  secret  recesses  of  the  heart,  —  into  the  very 
citadel  of  sin,  and  slays  it  there  with  irresistible  power. 

This  is  the  sort  of  preaching  you  require  in  England.  You 
will  never  have  a  general  revival  over  the  kingdom,  till  the 


198  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

preacher's  are  brought  universally  to  wield  the  Gospel  sword 
thus.  "  Many,"  said  a  good  man,  "  flourish  like  fencers,  beat- 
ing only  the  air;  but  few  fight  in  good  earnest  this  fight  of 
faith."  It  was  not  "after  such  a  fashion"  St.  Paul  wielded 
those  spiritual  weapons,  which  he  joyfully  declares  were 
"  mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of  strong-holds ;  cast- 
ing down  imaginations,  and  every  high  thing  that  exalteth  itself 
against  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  bringing  into  captivity  every 
thought  "  (of  the  sinner)  "  to  the  obedience  of  Christ."  2  Cor. 
10  :  4,  5.  Unless  such  weapons  are  "  levelled"  with  precision,  and 
applied  with  determination,  they  will  make  but  little  impression 
upon  the  strong-holds  of  Satan. 

A  few  days  since,  I  received  a  letter  from  an  aged  servant  of 
God  in  Ireland,  —  one  well  acquainted  with  revivals,  and  the 
sort  of  preaching  calculated,  or  not,  to  promote  a  revival.  Hear 
him :  —  "  We  go  through  blank  motions  here  sometimes ;  but  we 
only  use  powder ;  this,  you  know,  will  do  no  execution.  O, 
what  might  not  be  done,  if  we  would  do  it !  May  the  good  Lord 
pity  Ireland,  and  raise  up  more  who  will  prove  their  love  to 
souls,  by  doing  all  in  their  power  to  save  them  !  "  That  senti- 
ment of  one  now  with  God  is  also  mournfully  true  :  "  A  man  is 
soon  enlisted,  but  he  is  not  soon  made  a  soldier.  He  is  easily 
put  into  the  ranks,  to  make  a  show  there ;  but  he  is  not  so 
easily  brought  to  do  the  duties  of  the  ranks.  We  are  too  much 
like  an  army  of  Asiatics  :  they  count  well,  and  cut  a  good  figure ; 
but,  when  they  come  into  action,  one  has  no  flint,  another  has 
no  cartridge ;  the  arms  of  one  are  rusty,  and  another  has  not 
learned  to  handle  them.  This  was  not  the  complaint  equally  at 
all  times.     It  belongs  too  peculiarly  to  the  present  day." 

You  say,  "  It  is  one  thing  to  speak  eloquently  in  favor  of 
revivals,  in  the  hearing  of  a  religious  party,  —  around  the  tea- 
table,  —  in  the  circle  of  the  drawing-room,  —  or  even  in  the 
pulpit ;  but  it  is  quite  a  different  thing  to  come  down  into  the 
*  tug  of  war,'  —  the  laborious  matter-of-fact  work  in  a  revival." 
Yes !  and  there  are  too  many  who,  in  this  respect,  imitate  Lepi- 
dus  Major,  a  loose  Eoman,  of  Avhom  it  is  recorded,  that  when 
his  comrades  were  exercising  in  the  camp,  he  used  to  lay  him- 


UEVIVAf.    PUEACHIXG.  109 

self  down  under  a  shady  tree,  yawning,  "Would  that  this 
were  all  the  duty  1  were  to  do,"  Would  that  my  good  wishes, 
and  good  opinions,  well  expressed,  could  bring  about  a  revival 
of  religion.  I  have  read  somewhere  of  a  philosopher,  in  ancient 
times,  who  wrote  powerful  and  eloquent  articles  upon  the  neces- 
sity of  a  "  declaration  of  war  "  upon  the  part  of  his  countrymen  ; 
spirit-stirring  and  burning  were  his  appeals.  The  spirit  of  the 
nation  was  aroused.  "  To  arms  !  To  arms!  "  was  the  general 
cry.  The  philosopher  was  made  an  officer.  Instead  of  his 
morning  gown,  his  study  companion,  he  shone  in  "  regiment- 
als;" the  sword  was  put  into  his  hand  in  place  of  the  pen  ;  a 
regiment  of  men  to  command,  instead  of  a  regiment  of  words  : 

"Morn  oil  the  mountains,  sunrise  on  tlio  main, 
And  Itattle's  red  array  upon  the  plain  ; 
Touched  with  the  orient  gleam,  each  line  appears, 
A  wall  of  fire  beneath  a  hedge  of  spears  !  " 

The  hostile  armies  charge.  The  shouts  of  warriors  mingle 
with  the  clangor  of  trumpets  and  the  clash  of  arms.  Our  man 
of  letters  learned  soon,  to  his  dismay,  that  nice  speculations, 
poetical  descriptions,  flourish  of  metaphor,  and  high-sounding 
terms  of  national  honor,  differed  materially  from  the  stern  reali- 
ties of  war.  There  was  a  wide  contrast  between  the  quiet  of 
his  old  study  and  the  din  and  desperation  of  the  bloody  battle- 
field. A  war  of  words,  "  black  with  ink,"  differed  widely  from 
the  "  one  red  scene  of  human  butchery  "  which  encompassed 
him  around  ;  so  he  prudently  formed  the  resolution  to  "  let  them 
fight  it  out;  " — an  exit  from  the  scene  of  conflict  appeared  "  the 
better  part  of  valor."  Whether  he  kept  his  sword,  or  flung  it 
from  him,  is  not  material,  — 

"  He  ran  away, 
And  lived  to  fight  another  day." 

I  knew  a  minister  once,  who  wrote  some  glorious  and  stirring 
things  about  revivals,  and  very  eloquently  too.  Thousands  of 
copies  of  his  appeals  were  circulated  far  and  wide;  but,  when  a 
revival  of  the  word  of  God  burst  forth  like  a  flame,  in  his  own 


200  REVIVAL    MiyCELLANIES. 

neighborhood,  his  face  was  seldom  seen  in  one  of  the  meetings. 
Many  of  the  vilest  sinners  in  town  were  getting  converted,  and 
vast  numbers  were  under  the  deepest  concern  about  their  eter- 
nal interests.  A  large  body  of  faithful  men  —  men  who  had 
never  printed  a  line  on  the  subject  of  revivals  —  entered  into 
the  work  "  heart  and  soul ;  "  while  our  gentleman  of  the  pen, 
to  avoid  responsibility,  or  escape  observation,  set  out  for  a  "  short 
excursion  "  into  the  country.  There  he  continued,  "  enjoying 
himself,"  and  entertaining  a  polite  and  fashionable  circle,  while 
his  brethren,  pale  and  worn,  were  pushing  the  battle  to  the 
gates,  or  improving  the  victory  to  the  utmost  of  Gospel  power. 

It  is  not  to  be  w^ondered  at  that  there  are  men  to  be  found,  in 
great  numbers,  who  speak  well  of  revivals.  Methodism  owes 
its  origin  and  present  "  standing  "  in  the  world  to  such  extraor- 
dinary effusions  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  If  she  is  to  advance  to 
glory  and  victory,  it  must  be  done  by  the  same  instrumentality. 
If  Methodism  is  to  retrace  her  steps  back  again  to  her  "  former 
nonentity,"  or  if  she  is  to  be  reduced  to  an  invalid  among  the 
denominations  of  Christendom,  she  must  be  deprived  of  these 
gracious  visitations  of  mercy  and  love.  But  our  church  requires 
more  than  "  good  speaking  and  writing."     She  calls  for  action, 

—  vigorous  action,  —  powerful  and  continuous  efforts,  ordinary 
and  extraordinary,  for  the  conversion  of  sinners.  That  advice 
of  Cicero,  to  the  politicians  of  his  day,  is  strikingly  applicable 
to  the  "  pen  and  ink  heroes  and  wordy  carpet  knights  "  of  the 
present  time,  with  regard  to  revivals,  and  consequent  ingathering 
of  sinners  to  the  Methodist  church:  "Let,  therefore,  the  pen 
give  place  to  the  sword  ;  arts  to  arms  ;  the  shade  to  the  sun ; 
and  let  that  virtue  have  the  preeminence  in  the  state,  by  which 
the  state  itself  getteth  the  precedency  of  all  other.  Let  that 
rule  in  the  city,  by  which  the  city  hath  obtained  the  dominion 
of  the  whole  world." 

O,  my  brother  I  whatever  others  may  do,  be  wise  for  eternity, 

—  wise  not  only  in  running  the  Christian  race,  and  in  securing 
your  own  salvation,  but  in  winning  souls  to  Christ.  "  He  that 
winneth  souls  is  wise." 


REVIVAL    PREACHING.  201 

Christianity  has  her  subjects  of  beauty,  harmony,  and  grand- 
eur. In  many  instances,  she  would  seem  to  invite  the  inquir- 
ing mind  into  the  investigation  of  "  truth  in  the  abstract ; " 
where  taste  may  be  regaled,  and  where  the  lover  of  polite  liter- 
ature may  luxuriate  in  the  wide  field  of  her  boundless  wealth. 
That  there  is  much  in  such  intellectual  disquisitions  "  to  soothe 
the  mind,"  as  you  say,  "please  the  fancy,  and  move  the  afTec- 
tions,"  I  do  admit ;  but  I  do  not  forget  that  there  may  be  much 
also  to  gratify  human  vanity.  Could  you.  see  my  papers,  which 
are  folded  up  and  put  away,  you  could  not  believe  such  subjects 
have  been  by  me  "  always  and  wholly  disregarded ;  "  but  they 
are  totally  unfit  for  the  present  services^  and  those  great  truths 
which  are  adapted  to  them  I  conscientiously  prefer,  even  at  the 
risk  of  having  "certain  persons  of  an  intellectual  character  form 
an  unfavorable  opinion  of  the  mind  and  education  of  the 
stranger." 

"  With  a  religion  so  argumentative  as  ours,"  says  an  elegant 
writer,  "  it  may  be  easy  to  gather  out  a  feast  for  the  human 
understanding.  With  a  religion  so  magnificent  as  ours,  it  may 
be  easy  to  gather*  out  a  feast  for  the  human  imagination.  But 
with  a  religion  so  humbling,  and  so  strict,  and  so  spiritual,  it  is 
not  easy  to  mortify  the  pride,  or  to  quell  the  strong  enmity  of 
nature,  or  to  arrest  the  current  of  affections,  or  to  turn  the  con- 
stitutional habits,  or  to  form  a  new  complexion  over  the  moral 
history,  or  to  stem  the  domineering  influence  of  things  seen 
and  things  sensible,  or  to  invest  faith  with  a  practical  suprem- 
acy, or  to  give  its  objects  such  a  vivacity  of  influence  as  shall 
overpower  the*  near  and  the  hourly  impressions  that  are  ever 
emanating  upon  man,  from  a  seducing  world." 

Nor  should  the  sentiments  of  one  of  your  own  great  divines, 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  be  overlooked  :  "  General  persua- 
sives to  repentance  and  a  good  life,  and  invectives  against  sin 
and  wickedness  at  large,  are  certainly  of  good  use  to  recom- 
mend religion  and  virtue,  and  to  expose  the  deformity  and  dan- 
ger of  a  vicious  course.  But  it  must  be  acknowledged,  on  the 
other  hand,  that  these  general  discourses  do  not  so  immediately 
tend  to  reform  the  lives  of  men ;  because  they  fall  among  the 


202  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

crowd,  but  do  not  touch  the  consciences  of  particular  persons 
in  so  sensible  and  awakening  manner  as  when  we  treat  upon 
particular  duties  and  sins,  and  endeavor  to  put,  men  upon  the 
practice  of  one,  and  to  reclaim  them  from  the  other,  by  argu- 
ments taken  from  the  word  of  God,  and  from  the  nature  of  par- 
ticular virtues  and  vices." 

My  work,  in  these  special  services,  is  to  cast  away  from  me* 
every  discussion  that  would  serve  to  retard  the  great  purposes 
of  my  mission,  and  to  preach  those  mighty  truths  of  the  Gospel 
that  will  awaken  and  convert  men.  If  some  of  my  hearers  do 
not,  or  will  not,  understand  my  "  object  and  aim,"  I  cannot  help 
it.  We  may  say  of  fine  sermons,  during  a  revival,  as  Hector 
said  to  Paris :  "  It  is  not  your  golden  harp,  nor  curled  hair, 
and  beautiful  painting,  that  will  stand  you  in  the  field ;  "  and, 
as  an  old  divine  says :  "  Neither  is  it  the  wrought  scabbard,  but 
the  strong  blade  ;  not  the  bright  color,  but  the  sharp  edge  of  it, 
that  helpeth  in  danger,  and  hurteth  the  enemy."  I  have,  my 
dear  sir,  drawn  the  sword,  and  have  thrown  away  the  scab- 
bard. Let  jesters  and  speculators  "  have  their  say,"  —  that 
sword  shall  make  havoc,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  among 
•'  the  king's  enemies ;  "  and  before  I  leave  this  chapel,  I  hope 
to  be  able  to  point  to  a  great  cloud  of  witnesses,  —  a  host  of  new 
converts,  —  and  say,  "  Behold  the  fruits  of  my  ministry !  These 
are  of  more  value  to  me  in  the  church  of  God  than  thousands 
of  hearers  applauding  my  sermons,  and  not  a  sinner,  perhaps, 
converted  to  God !  " 

You  inquire,  "  If  these  religious  excitements,  which  some  call 
revivals,  are  of  God,  if  they  are  really  produced  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  why,  then,  are  they  not  more  frequent  and  more  general, 
among  all  denominations  of  Christians  ?  " 

Ordinarily,  I  should  suppose  it  is  because  the  great  truths 
necessary  to  bring  sinners  to  repentance  are  but  partially  and 
faintly  insisted  upon ;  or,  though  advanced  with  some  degree 
of  point  and  power,  the  impressions  are  not  followed  up  by 
repeated  blows  of  a  similar  character,  nor  are  distinct  results 
expected.  ^ 


REVIVAL    PREACHING.  203 

The  reason  why  the  important  doctrines  of  "  repentance  and 
regeneration  "  are  not  realized  vividly,  and  experienced  clearly, 
by  the  great  mass  of  Protestants,  of  various  denominations,  is, 
not  because  they  are  not  laid  down  and  defined  in  their  articles 
of  faith,  and  ably  defended  in  their  theological  books ;  but, 
chiefly,  from  the  fact  that  they  are  not  distinctly,  fervently,  fre- 
quently, and  experimentally  preached.  May  not  the  words  coU' 
version,  a  change  of  heart,  or  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  upon  the 
soul,  be  introduced  merely  to  grace  a  sentence,  impart  smooth- 
ness to  a  period,  or  to  throw  a  hue  of  orthodoxy  or  of  spiritual- 
ity over  the  sermon,  and  not  from  any  deeply  felt  desire  that  the 
unconverted  should  be  brought  into  this  safe  and  happy  state 
immediately?  Not  unfrequently  it  is  with  the  above,  as  with 
the  doctrine  of  an  eternal  hell ;  the  word  "  hell "  is  incorporated 
into  the  discourse,  because  it  cannot  be  well  avoided.  It  becomes 
a  link  in  the  chain  of  high-sounding  argument.  Leave  that  link 
out,  and  the  chain  is  broken ;  the  argument  would  fall  to  pieces, 
and  become  disgraceful  to  the  preacher.  (A  word  in  the  sen- 
tence it  must  be,  because  necessary  to  the  sense  ;  and  without  it 
the  efTort  would  be  stigmatized  as  "  meaning  nothing.^')  The 
hard,  impolite,  and  unfashionable  little  word  is,  therefore,  em- 
ployed, but  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  the  least  ofTence  pos- 
sible. I  have  heard  some  men  use  the  term  hell  in  their  ser- 
mons, apparently  for  no  other  purpose  than  as  a  rhetorician 
introduces  a  solecism,  —  that  is,  a  want  of  fitness  in  a  word  or 
sentence,  in  order  to  distinguish,  with  more  peculiar  grace,  cer- 
tain other  figures  of  speech ;  or,  as  a  musician  uses  a  discord 
among  harmonious  notes,  to  impart  to  the  latter  a  sweeter  mel- 
ody ;  or,  as  a  limner  employs  dark  color  to  throw  out  into  bolder 
relief  and  beauty  the  brighter  parts  of  a  picture ;  —  but  with 
just  as  much  concern  for  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  the 
sinner,  as  is  felt  by  the  rhetorician,  the  musician,  or  the  lim- 
ner. 

The  real  hell,  as  described  in  the  Scriptures,  is  not  uncovered 
in  all  the  terrific  horrors  which  belong  to  it;  nor  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  render  inapplicable  that  satirical  couplet,  — 


204  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

"  Smooth  down  the  stubborn  text  to  ears  polite, 
And  snugly  keep  damnation  out  of  sight." 

Hell  is  not  unfolded  so  as  to  make  the  heart  and  soul  of  the 
many  sinners  in  that  congregation  quake  and  tremble  before  the 
Lord  God  of  Hosts ;  extorting,  if  possible,  the  awakened  and 
agonizing  cry, — 

"  What  must  be  done, 
To  save  a  wretch  like  me  ? 
How  shall  a  trembling  sinner  shun 
That  endless  misery?  ■"' 

Or,  in  the  language  of  the  terrified  jailer,  "What  must  I  do  to 
be  saved  ? "  In  this  way  did  an  eminent  man,  now  with  God, 
open  the  horrors  of  hell  before  the  eyes  of  an  appalled  audience. 
His  text  was,  Rev.  14  :  9 — 11.  And  what,  think  ,ye,  must  the 
sermon  have  been,  when  the  following  is  but  a  scrap  from  the 
exordium,  or  introduction  ?  "  Great  God !  suspend  for  a  few 
minutes  the  small  still  voice  of  thy  Gospel.  For  a  few  minutes, 
let  not  this  auditory  hear  the  church  shouting,  *  Grace,  grace 
unto  it ! '  Let  the  blessed  angels,  who  assist  in  our  assemblies, 
for  a  while  leave  us  to  attend  to  the  miseries  of  the  damned  !  1 
speak  literally.  I  wish  these  miserable  beings  could  show  you 
for  a  moment  the  weight  of  their  chains,  the  intensity  of  their 
flames,  the  stench  of  their  smoke.  Happy,  if,  struck  with  these 
alarming  objects,  the  sinner  may  imbibe  a  holy  horror,  and  hence- 
forth oppose  against  all  temptations,  these  words.  The  smoke  of 
their  torment  ascendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever.  In  such  a  man- 
ner Cecil  preached,  when  he  said,  "  Hell  is  before  me ;  millions 
of  souls  are  shut  up  there  in  everlasting  agonies — millions  more 
are  on  the  way.  Jesus  Christ  sends  me  to  proclaim  his  ability 
and  love.  I  want  no  fourth  idea.  Every  fourth  idea  is  a  grand 
impertinence ;  every  fourth  idea  is  contemptible." 

I  write  to  a  candid,  observing  man.  Tell  me,  is  hell  thus 
delineated  in  the  place  of  worship  where  you  usually  worship  God? 
If  hell  be  a  reality,  and  is  believed  to  be  so  by  the  preacher,  is  it 
safe  to  keep  it  out  of  the  sinner's  view,  or  to  represent  it  less  ter- 
rible than  it  is  ?     When  the  Rev.  John  Wesley  began  to  preach 


REVIVAL    PREACHING.  205 

thus,  he  raised  a  storm  of  persecution  around  him ;  but  he  was 
soon  surrounded  with  thousands  of  penitent  and  alarmed  sin- 
ners. And  when  compelled  to  take  up  the  pen  in  self-defence,  he 
said,  "  You  put  me  in  mind  of  an  eminent  man,  who,  preach- 
ing at  St.  James',  said,  •  If  you  do  not  repent,  you  will  go  to 
a  place  which  I  shall  not  name  before  this  audience.'  I  cannot 
promise  so  much,  either  in  preaching  or  writing,  before  any 
audience,  or  to  any  person  whatever.  =^  =H:  ^  For,  to  say  the 
truth,  I  desire  to  have  both  heaven  and  hell  ever  in  my  eye, 
while  I  stand  on  this  isthmus  of  life,  between  these  two  bound- 
less oceans ;  and  I  verily  think  the  daily  consideration  of  both 
highly  becomes  all  men  of  reason  and  religion." 

I  cannot  pursue  this  thought  further ;  but  allow  me  to  inquire, 
How  has  that  deeply  interesting  phraseology  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
been  treated  by  your  minister  ?  —  "  Bom  again.  —  Kepent  and 
be  converted.  —  Passed  from  death  unto  life ;  —  from  darkness 
to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God,  that  they  may 
receive  forgiveness  of  sins. — Who  hath  delivered  us  from  the 
power  of  darkness,  and  hath  translated  us  into  the  kingdom  of 
his  dear  Son.  —  In  whom  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood, 
the  forgiveness  of  sins.  —  The  eyes  of  your  understanding  being 
enlightened.  —  Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have 
done,  but,  according  to  his  mercy,  he  saved  us  by  the  washing 
of  regeneration,  and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  —  We 
have  not  received  the  Spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear,  but  the 
Spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  w^e  cry,  Abba,  Father.  — The  Spirit 
itself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  the  children 
of  God.  —  And  because  ye  are  sons,  God  hath  sent  forth  the 
Spirit  of  his  Son  into  your  hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father." 

But  this  language  may  be  explained  away,  so  as  to  mean 
nothing  beyond  a  stricter  attention  to  the  duties  of  religion  than 
may  have  hitherto  marked  the  conduct  of  the  hearer ;  or  the 
putting  off  the  immoralities  belonging  to  the  irreligious,  and  put- 
ting on  those  external  decencies  which  should  characterize  the 
servant  of  God. 

The  above-quoted  language  of  the  Scripture  is  defined  by  a 
regenerated  minister,  not  as  including  a  mere  attendance  upon 
18 


206  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

the  ordinances  of  religion,  nor  a  mere  change  in  the  morals 
(which  are  indeed  the  fruits  of  ^^  the  new  birth  unto  righteous- 
ness''), but  the  forgiveness  of  all  the  sins  which  are  past  (Rom. 
3  :  25),  and  the  regeneration  of  the  soul ;  an  entire  and  radical 
change  of  the  whole  nature ;  a  complete  renovation  of  the  heart, 
as  well  as  of  the  life ;  and  a  full  and  satisfactory  assurance,  by 
the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  of  the  adoption  of  the  believer  into  the 
family  of  God,  and  the  earnest  of  his  right  to  the  heavenly 
inheritance.  Such  a  minister  will  not  rest  satisfied  till  he  sees 
the  unconverted  in  his  congregation  broken  down  into  repent- 
ance for  sin.  With  many  tears,  and  with  a  heart  yearning  for 
the  salvation  of  sinners,  he  will  scatter,  with  an  unsparing  hand, 
the  living  coals  of  eternal  truth  upon  the  naked  consciences  of 
his  hearers,  till  each  is  compelled  to  cry  for  himself,  "  God  have 
mercy  upon  me,  a  sinner !  Save,  Lord,  or  I  perish ;  heal  my 
soul,  for  I  have  sinned  against  thee ! 

'  I  must  this  instant  now  begin 
Out  of  my  sleep  to  wake  ; 
And  turn  to  God,  and  every  sin 
Continually  forsake. 
I  must  for  faith  incessant  cry. 
And  wrestle,  Lord,  with  thee  ; 
I  must  be  born  again,  or  die, 
To  all  eternity.'" 

Nor  will  he  rest  until  he  hear  many  of  these  agonized  sin- 
ners joyfully  exclaim,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  oh  my  soul,  and  all  that 
is  within  me  bless  his  holy  name  !  Bless  the  Lord,  oh  my  soul, 
and  forget  not  all  his  benefits  :  who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities ; 
who  healeth  all  thy  diseases;  who  redeemeth  thy  life  from 
destruction  ;  who  crowneth  thee  with  loving  kindness  and  tender 
mercies ;  who  satisfieth  thy  mouth  with  good  things,  so  that  thy 
youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagle's !  " 

Alas !  sir,  there  are  ministers  within  the  circle  of  your 
acquaintance,  who,  instead  of  using  such  scriptural  methods  for 
the  conversion  of  their  hearers,  <' ridicule  the  idea,"  and  pro- 
nounce such  effects  a  fanatical  excitement,  to  be  deprecated  and 
avoided.     It  would  appear,  from  the  expressions  of  some,  that 


REVIVAL    PREACHING.  207 

rather  than  witness  such  a  movement  amonof  hitherto  careless 
sinners  belonging  to  their  charge,  they  would  prefer  to  see  their 
congregations  bearing  all  the  marks  of  deep  spiritual  slumber, 
and  not  a  single  vestige  of  the  true  character  of  godliness  un- 
folded in  their  experience  or  practice.  That  there  are  some 
honorable  and  noble  exceptions,  I  am  ready  to  admit ;  but  that 
I  am  not  overrating  the  matter,  as  it  regards  several  within  the 
circle  of  your  acquaintance,  you  know  very  well.  Instances 
have  come  under  my  own  observation,  where  a  revival  has  com- 
menced and  spread  among  multitudes  who  had  till  then  lived  in 
the  total  neglect  of  all  religion,  and  that  revival  bearing  all  the 
marks,  and  presenting  the  most  convincing  evidence,  of  its  being 
a  real  work  of  God,  —  the  cries  of  penitential  sinners  mingling 
daily  with  the  triumphant  shouts  of  new-born  souls.  Acts  2. 
Yet  such  men  have  taken  the  alarm,  and  from  their  pulpits  have 
warned  their  people  against  "  this  imported  fanaticism." 

A  town  in  America  v/as  visited,  at  a  certain  time,  with  a  pow- 
erful revival  of  religion.  Multitudes  of  sinners  were  brought 
into  great  distress  about  their  souls,  and  very  many  were  made 
partakers  of  the  pardoning  love  of  God.  There  was,  indeed,  a 
great  shaking  among  the  dry  bones.  Ezek.  37 :  1 — 10.  There 
were  the  piercing  cries  of  penitent  sinners,  and  the  heavy  groans 
of  others,  who  dared  not  so  much  as  look  up  to  heaven ;  and  the 
loud  supplications  of  the  faithful  servants  of  God,  who  knew  and 
felt  all  this  to  be  the  result  of  an  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  that  nothing  short  of  the  power  of  God  could  have  brought 
about  such  a  sudden  and  wondrous  change  in  the  feelings  of  so 
many  sinners  at  the  same  time.  Sinners,  high  and  low,  rich 
and  poor,  youth  and  old  age,  —  from  the  child  of  ten  to  the  grand-  * 
father  of  seventy,  —  were  supplicating  together,  at  the  throne 
of  grace,  for  mercy.  Christians,  who  had  long  prayed  for  a 
revival,  were  now  weeping  aloud  for  joy ;  and  new  converts, 
whose  numbers  were  daily  increasing,  were  rejoicing  with  joy 
unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.  It  is  proper  to  state,  as  it  is  con- 
nected with  the  anecdote,  that  it  was  a  winter  of  extreme  cold 
in  that  part  of  North  America ;  the  ice  was  on  the  lakes  and 
rivers,  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  feet  in  thickness.     Not  far 


208  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

from  the  scene  of  the  revival,  one  day,  stood  two  men  in  close 
conversation.  They  belonged  to  different  churches,  and  the  fol- 
lowing was  the  substance  of  their  discourse  :  "  What  is  the  state 
of  religion  in  your  church  ? "  inquired  one ;  a  very  important 
inquiry,  by  the  way,  and  I  wish  it  were  more  frequent  among 
Christians  of  every  denomination.  The  other,  who  had  "  tasted 
of  the  good  word  of  God,  and  felt  the  powers  of  the  world  to 
come,"  had  sufficient  discernment  and  spirituality  to  reply: 
"Very  cold,  indeed,  sir;  it  is  as  far  below  the  freezing  point  at 
present,  as  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere !  "  Very  express- 
ive, and  applicable  to  more  churches  than  one. 

"  And  what  is  your  minister  preaching  about  ? "  was  the  next 
inquiry ;  and  a  very  natural  one,  because  such  a  state  of  extreme 
coldness  in  religious  feeling,  while  neighboring  congregations 
were  receiving  such  gracious  visits  from  on  high,  and  when  the 
wilderness  and  the  solitary  places  were  being  made  glad,  and 
were  rejoicing  and  blossoming  as  the  rose,  would  naturally  call 
forth  some  expression  from  the  pastor,  from  which  it  might  be 
inferred  whether  he  was  satisfied  with  such  a  state  of  things. 
The  answer  was  :  "  He  is  laboring  chiefly  to  show  the  danger 
of  animal  excitement." 

This  was  the  theme  of  the  poor  man's  preaching ;  who  evi- 
dently preferred  that  his  church  should  remain  in  a  state  of  cold 
indifference,  and  he  himself  enjoy  his  leisure  and  his  books, 
while  a  great  mass  of  the  sinners  belonging  to  his  congregation 
were  asleep  in  their  sins,  and  exposed,  every  moment,  to  the 
torments  of  hell;  and  all  this  for  the  avowed  and  plausible 
reason,  —  lest  they  should  incur  "the  danger  of  animal  excite- 
ment." The  conversation  closed  with  the  amusing  exclama- 
tion, "  The  danger  of  animal  excitement !  Why,  surely  the 
man's  sermons  would  be  better  adapted  to  the  state  of  his  con- 
gregation, were  he  to  preach  on  the  danger  of  being  spiritually 
frost-bitten !  " 

Now,  we  will  suppose  that  the  Spirit  of  God  had,  in  mercy  to 
that  church,  descended  upon  the  souls  of  sinners,  while  the  min- 
ister was  in  the  act,  perhaps,  of  uttering  some  great  truth  of 
Christianity ;  and  this  he  could  not  well  avoid  doing  sometimes, 


REVIVAL    PREACHING.  209 

although  it  might  be  mingled  with  much  that  was  erroneous  in 
principle.  We  will  suppose  that,  under  the  power  of  that  con- 
straining influence  from  above,  many  had  been  instantaneously- 
awakened  into  the  deepest  distress,  on  account  of  their  sins,  — 
as  were  the  three  thousand  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  who  were 
''pricked  in  their  hearts"  and  cried,  ''Men  and  brethren,  what 
shall  ice  do  ?  "  Alas  for  the  man,  —  what  would  he  have  done  ? 
Probably  he  would  have  taken  the  most  direct  methods  to  put 
down  the  noise,  and  check  this  "animal  excitement."  Unless, 
indeed,  fear  had  induced  him  to  pause,  not  knowing  what  to  do. 
A  few  years  ago,  a  circumstance,  somewhat  similar,  occurred 
in  the  United  States.  Two  ministers,  whose  method  and  whose 
success  in  preaching  were  the  antipodes  of  each  other,  were  one 
day  conversing  together.  It  had  long  been  a  matter  of  surprise 
to  the  unsuccessful  preacher,  how  it  came  to  pass  that  the  other 
could  always  produce  such  a  powerful  excitement  among  the 
people  wherever  he  went,  the  good  effects  of  which  he  could  not 
deny ;  many  sinners  having  become  reformed  and  truly  religious 
under  his  preaching,  as  if  by  miracle.  During  the  conversation, 
he  pleasantly  expressed  his  wonder  at  the  achievements  of  his 
friend,  and  alluded  slightly  to  the  absence  of  any  such  thing  in 
connection  with  his  own  ministry.  He  received  the  following 
reply :  "  Our  objects  in  preaching,  my  brother,  are  quite  differ- 
ent. I  aim  at  the  conversion  of  sinners  to  God ;  but  you  aim,  it 
would  seem,  at  nothing  of  the  kind ;  and  how  can  we  expect 
similar  effects,  when  we  aim  at  results  so  widely  different?" 
Seeing  the  good-natured  man  pleased  with  the  remarks,  if  not 
deeply  convicted  of  their  truth,  he  continued  :  "  Here  is  one  of 
my  sermons ;  preach  it  to  your  people,  and  observe  the  effects." 
The  sermon  was  accepted,  as  it  probably  saved  him  the  trouble 
of  preparing  one  for  the  coming  Sabbath.  In  the  simplicity  of 
his  heart,  he  entered  the  pulpit,  and,  at  the  proper  time,  began 
the  sermon.  He  had  not  proceeded  far  with  the  discourse,  before 
it  began  to  move  the  congregation ;  but,  having  his  eyes  confined 
closely  to  the  document,  he  did  not  at  first  discover  the  efiect. 
When  sinners  became  alarmed,  he  felt  embarrassed;  but  con- 
tinued the  sermon  to  the  end.  Upon  descending  from  the  pul- 
18* 


210  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

pit,  he  was  met  by  a  sinner  in  great  distress,  inquiring,  "  What 
shall  I  do  ?  "  The  unhappy  preacher  was  thrown  into  confu- 
sion, and  began  to  apologize,  —  "  O  !  I  am  sorry  I  have  hurt  your 
feelings ;  indeed,  it  was  not  my  intention  to  do  so !  " 

How  is  it  possible  such  a  man  could  have  a  revival  ?  or  enter 
into  one  and  carry  it  forward,  should  it  commence  under  his 
ministry  ?  And,  to  refer  again  to  that  minister  who  warned  his 
people  against  "animal  excitement,"  would  it  not  have  been 
more  becoming,  had  he  admonished  them  of  the  danger  oi  falling 
i7ito  hell  ?  a  catastrophe,  this,  of  more  dreadful  consequence  than 
the  mere  excitement  of  animal  passions.  Had  that  man's  heart 
been  right  with  God,  instead  of  frequent  attempts  to  prejudice 
sinners  against  the  revival,  he  would  have  been  in  an  agony  for 
their  conversion,  "weeping  between  the  porch  and  the  altar;" 
and  praying  for  his  guilty  brethren,  as  did  the  holy  prophet :  "  O 
Lord,  I  have  heard  thy  speech,  and  was  afraid :  O  Lord,  revive 
thy  work,  in  the  midst  of  the  years  make  known,  in  wrath 
remember  mercy." 

Pardon  me  for  referring  again  to  the  clergyman  and  the  bor- 
rowed sermon.  Had  that  man,  ere  he  began  to  preach,  drank 
"the  wormwood  and  the  gall,"  from  the  bitter  cup  of  repentance ; 
had  his  soul  been  carried  through  all  the  stages  of  a  troubled 
and  penitent  conscience,  till,  by  faith  in  the  blood  of  atonement, 
he  had  experienced  remission  of  sins ;  had  he  then  been  prompted 
by  love  to  the  souls  of  perishing  sinners,  and  impelled  forward  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  them,  by  a  consciousness  that  necessity  was 
laid  upon  him,  with  a  "  woe  is  unto  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gos- 
2^6^;"  —  had  this  been  the  case,  his  heart  would  have  leaped  for 
joy  to  behold  a  weeping  congregation;  and,  when  this  con- 
science-stricken sinner  came,  inquiring  what  he  should  do,  the 
answer  would  have  been  forthcoming,  and  the  sympathizing 
minister  would  have  been  on  his  knees  too,  supplicating  God  in 
behalf  of  the  condemned  one. 

But  the  man  who  has  never  felt  the  evil  nature  of  sin,  nor 
tasted  its  bitterness,  nor  suffered  the  agonies  of  the  "new  birth," 
can  have  but  little  sympathy  with  the  sorrows  of  a  penitent ; 
nor  is  it  to  be  expected  that  such  a  man  will  preach  clearly. 


REVIVAL    PREACHING.  211 

energetically,  and  successfully,  the  doctrines  of  repentance,  faith, 
and  conversion.  He  can  have  little  heart  to  do  so.  A  poet  has 
well  described  the  preaching  of  such : 

"The  clear  harangue,  and  cold  as  it  is  clear, 
Falls  soporific  on  the  listless  ear  ; 
Like  quicksilver,  the  rhetoric  they  display 
Shines  as  it  runs,  but,  grasped  at,  slips  away." 

I  admit  that  a  man  possessed  of  some  acquaintance  vs^ith 
theology,  of  considerable  learning,  ready  utterance,  of  an  "  in- 
genious and  metaphysical  turn  of  mind,"  and  capable  of  some 
thrilling  strokes  of  eloquence,  which  he  would  show  off  equally 
well  were  he  lecturing  upon  any  of  the  sciences,  may  sometimes 
be  drawn  oui  further  than  he  had  intended,  in  preaching  the 
peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Cross.  Though  he  has  never  been  con- 
verted, and  is  no  more  a  child  of  God  than  the  "  veriest  sinner" 
in  his  congregation,  yet,  in  the  Use  of  the  pen,  he  may  be  the 
subject  of  deep  emotion,  and  in  public  speaking  he  may  kindle 
into  excitement,  and  expatiate  largely,  and  with  ardor,  upon  the 
necessity  of  a  conversion  which  he  has  never  realized  to  his  own 
experience. 

In  those  seasons,  he  may  be  led  to  utter  some  bold  and  stir- 
ring thoughts  upon  the  subject,  which  may  fasten  upon  the  con- 
sciences of  some  flagrant  sinners  in  the  audience ;  and  may  even 
excite  very  uneasy  sensations  in  the  minds  of  his  more  intelli- 
gent but  unconverted  hearers.  But,  should  any  of  them  weep 
aloud,  and,  through  the  violence  of  their- feelings,  cry  out,  "  Men 
and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do  ? "  or  come  to  him,  in  the  usual 
distress  of  penitential  sorrow,  privately,  for  advice,  the  man 
would  be  thrown  into  confusion,  and  be  "at  his  wits'  end." 
Grant  that  he  has  a  particle  of  moral  honesty  in  his  soul,  will 
he  not  be  compelled  to  confess  his  own  incapacity  to  explain  to 
the  inquiring  penitent  the  way  of  faith  ? 

After  such  an  occurrence,  it  is  likely,  he  would  be  more 
guarded  in  his  pulpit  phraseology,  —  the  sure  method  to  avoid 
any  trouble  of  a  similar  kind ;  and,  of  course,  an  effective  pre- 
caution against  a  revival.     But  a  secret  conviction,  not  to  be 


212  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

stifled,  of  the  danger  of  his  own  soul,  may  fasten  upon  his  con- 
science; which,  if  it  do  not  result  in  his  conversion,  may  embit- 
ter many  an  hour  of  his  existence. 

While  in  the  city  of  Quebec,  a  few  months  since,  I  was  much 
interested  in  a  work  lately  translated  from  the  German.  While 
proceeding  through  the  volume,  I  met  with  the  following  anec- 
dote, which  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  point,  while  it  shows,  at 
the  same  time,  how  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  affect  the  sinners 
of  that  country. 

The  author  stated  that,  some  years  ago,  and  not  far  from  his 
place  of  abode,  there  lived  a  very  gifted  preacher;  that  he 
preached  the  doctrines  of  the  Cross  with  great  earnestness,  and 
on  that  account  was  violently  opposed.  One  of  his  opponents, 
a  well-informed  person,  who  had  for  a  long  time  absented  him- 
self from  the  church,  observed,  one  Sabbath  morning,  that  he 
vyould  go  and  hear  the  gloomy  man  once  more,  and  see  whether 
his  preaching  was  any  more  tolerable  than  before.  He  went ; 
and  that  morning  the  preacher  was  speaking  of  the  "narrow 
way,"  which  he  did  not  make  any  narrower,  or  broader,  than 
the  word  of  God  describes  it.  "  A  new  creature  in  Christ,  or 
eternal  damnation,"  was  the  theme  of  his  discourse ;  and  he 
spoke  with  power,  and  not  as  a  learned  reasoner.  The  man 
heard  him  patiently;  and,  during  the  sermon,  the  question  forced 
itself  upon  his  conscience,  "  How  is  it  with  myself?  Does  this 
man  declare  the  real  truth  ?  If  he  does,  what  must  be  the  inein- 
table  consequence  ?  "  This  thought  took  such  hold  upon  him, 
that  he  could  not  get  rid  of  it  amidst  any  of  his  engagements, 
but  it  became  more  and  more  troublesome  and  penetrating-,  and 
threatened  to  embitter  his  whole  life.  By  the  way,  sir,  this  is 
just  what  we  mean  by  the  terms  we  are  often  led  to  use,  during 
the  progress  of  this  revival:  such  as,  "convinced  of  sin;" 
"  brought  under  a  concern  for  the  soul ;"  "  the  awakened  sin- 
ner ;"  "  the  anxious  inquirer  after  salvation,"  etc. 

His  uneasy  state  of  mind  continued ;  the  danger  of  losing  his 
soul  again  and  again  intruded  upon  his  thoughts,  and  was  con- 
tinually present  in  all  his  meditations.  At  length  he  concluded 
to  go  to  the  preacher  himself,  and  ask  him,  upon  his  conscience, 


REVIVAL    PREACHING.  213 

if  he  were  really  convinced  of  the  truth  of  what  he  had  lately 
preached.  So,  embracing  an  opportunity,  he  addressed  the  man 
who  had  been  the  means  of  creating  all  this  trouble.  "  Sir,"  he 
said,  with  great  earnestness,  "  I  was  one  of  your  hearers,  when 
you  spoke,  a  short  time  since,  of  the  only  way  of  salvation.  I 
confess  to  you  that  you  have  disturbed  my  peace  of  mind,  and 
I  cannot  refrain  from  asking  you  solemnly,  before  God  and  upon 
your  conscience,  if  you  can  prove  what  you  asserted,  or  whether 
it  was  an  unfounded  alarm."  The  preacher,  not  a  little  sur- 
prised at  this  address,  replied,  with  convincing  seriousness,  that 
what  he  had  spoken  was  undoubtedly  the  word  of  God,  and, 
consequently,  infallible  truth.  And  now  it  was  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  was  about  to  make  the  awakened  sinner,  in  his  turn,  the 
instrument  of  convincing  the  clergyman  that  he  himself  had 
never  been  converted  to  God,  and  therefore  not  in  the  "  narrow 
way."     "  What,  then,  is  to  become  of  us  ? "  replied  the  visiter. 

The  last  word,  us,  startled  the  preacher ;  but  he  rallied  his 
thoughts,  and  began  to  explain  the  way  of  salvation  to  the  in- 
quirer, and  to  exhort  him  to  repent  and  believe. 

But  the  latter,  as  though  he  had  not  heard  a  syllable  the 
preacher  had  said,  interrupted  him  in  the  midst  of  it,  and 
repeated,  with  increasing  emotion,  the  anxious  exclamation,  "  If 
it  be  truth,  sir,  I  beseech  you,  what  are  we  to  do  ? " 

Terrified,  the  preacher  staggered  back:  "We,"  thought  he, 
"  what  means  this  we  ?  "  But,  endeavoring  to  stifle  his  inward 
uneasiness  and  embarrassment,  he  resumed  his  exhortation  and 
advice.  Tears  came  into  the  eyes  of  the  visiter.  He  smote 
his  hands  like  one  in  despair,  and  exclaimed,  in  accents  which 
might  have  melted  a  heart  of  stone,  "  Sir,  if  it  be  truth,  we  are 
lost  and  undone !  " 

The  preacher  stood  pale  and  speechless,  and  trembled.  But, 
overwhelmed  with  astonishment,  with  downcast  eyes  and  con- 
vulsive sobbings,  he  exclaimed,  "  Friend  !  down  upon  your  knees ! 
let  us  pray  and  cry  for  mercy !  "  They  knelt  down  and  prayed, 
and,  shortly  after,  the  visiter  retired.  The  minister  shut  him- 
self up  in  his  study,  and  sought  the  salvation  of  his  soul  with 
his  whole  heart.     The   Sabbath  arrived,  but  the  congregation 


214  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

was  without  a  preacher.  He  had,  it  would  seem,  come  to  a  con- 
clusion to  preach  no  more,  till  he  knew  that  God,  for  Christ's 
sake,  had  forgiven  his  sins.  Word  was  sent  to.  the  waiting  con- 
gregation that  the  minister  was  unwell,  and  could  not  preach. 
The  same  thing  happened  the  Sabbath  following.  On  the  third 
Sabbath  he  made  his  appearance  before  his  congregation,  worn 
with  his  inward  conflict,  and  pale,  but  his  eyes  were  beaming 
with  joy.  He  commenced  his  discourse  with  the  affecting  dec- 
laration, that  he  had  now,  for  the  first  time,  passed  through  the 
"  strait  gate."     Matt.  7 :  14. 

Perhaps  the  following  may  not  be  uninteresting.  There  is  a 
story  related  in  the  town  of  Northampton,  State  of  Massachu- 
setts, United  States,  of  a  young  minister,  of  the  name  of  Stod- 
dard, who,  many  years  ago,  was  pastor  of  a  congregation  in  that 
place.  Although  his  learning  and  talents  could  not  be  ques- 
tioned, yet  some  of  the  pious  of  his  church  seriously  doubted 
whether  he  was  a  converted  man.  Why  they  entertained  such 
a  suspicion,  I  have  not  seen  stated  in  any  accounts  of  the  cir- 
cumstance. It  arose,  probably,  either  from  his  careless  manner 
of  living,  or  from  the  style  and  matter  of  his  preaching,  —  per- 
haps from  the  cold  reception  he  may  have  given  to  persons  who 
were  in  distress  for  their  souls,  as  well  as  from  his  repeated 
assertions  that  none  could  possibly  ascertain  by  their  feelings 
whether  they  were  in  a  state  of  grace.  However,  the  convic- 
tion became  riveted  upon  the  minds  of  his  sincere  and  honest 
people,  that  the  great  question  of  their  minister's  conversion  was 
yet  unsettled  ;  and  that  he  could  never  preach  the  great  doctrines 
of  repentance,  faith  in  Christ,  and  regeneration,  with  zeal,  with 
an  unction  from  above,  and  with  convincing  clearness  and  suc- 
cess, if  he  had  never  experienced  such  things  himself.  The  event 
proyed  that  they  had  been .  correct  in  their  surmises.  They 
knew  him  to  be  a  young  man  of  talents  and  learning,  and  were 
aware  how  useful  he  might  become,  if  prepared  for  it  by  a  sound 
conversion.  They  could  not  conscientiously  desert  the  house 
of  God,  nor  tempt  him  to  withdraw  from  preaching  the  Gospel, 
and,  perhaps,  throw  his  talents  into  the  service  of  the  devil ; 


REVIVAL    PREACHING.  215 

but  they  agreed  to  set  apart  a  day  for  special  fasting  and  prayer 
for  the  conversion  of  their  pastor. 

Many  of  the  people,  going  to  the  house  of  God  on  that  day, 
had,  of  necessity,  to  pass  the  door  of  the  minister.  Mr.  Stod- 
dard observing  unusual  numbers  passing  by,  hailed  a  plain  man, 
whom  he  knew,  and  inquired,  "  What  is  all  this  ?  What  is  doing 
to-day?"  The  individual  replied,  "The  people,  sir,  are  all 
going  to  meeting  to  pray  for  your  conversion." 

This  piece  of  information  Avent  to  his  heart  like  an  arrow,  and 
he  silently  exclaimed,  "  Then  it  is  time,  surely,  I  prayed  for 
myself."  He  was  not  seen  any  more  that  day  ;  and  while  his 
people  were  praying  for  him  in  public,  he  was  ardently  seeking 
salvation  in  private.  While  they  were  yet  speaking,  God 
answered,  and  set  his  soul  at  liberty.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  people  of  God  obtained  evidence,  most  unquestionable,  that 
he  had  indeed  passed  "  from  death  unto  life ! "  That  man  labored 
among  them  nearly  half  a  century,  and,  it  is  said,  he  was  ranked 
among  the  most  able  ministers  of  the  age. 

You  have  probably  read  the  memoir  of  a  clergyman  of  the 
Establishment,  who  was,  in  his  pulpit  labors,  very  successful  in 
the  awakening  and  conversion  of  sinners  —  the  Rev.  R.  Mayow. 
If  so,  you  will  recollect  the  following  sentiments,  from  his  own 
pen,  and  they  are  the  best  apology  I  can  offer  for  myself:  "  The 
occasional  abruptness  of  my  sermons  is  not  owing  to  inattention, 
but  design.  Were  I  previously  to  show  the  manner  in  which  I 
intend  to  carry  on  the  attack,  I  should  act  like  a  general  who 
should  publish  all  his  plans  to  the  party  he  wishes  to  overcome. 
Through  the  whole  of  my  life,  I  have  been  of  the  opinion  that 
the  poor,  and,  indeed,  that  all  ranks  of  people,  are  best  taught 
by  tales  and  parables.  Not  to  be  affected  by  the  marvellous,  is 
an  irrational  and  false  refinement,  which  the  poorest  of  the  peo- 
ple never  arrive  at  in  any  age.  It  is  on  this  principle  that  I 
encourage  myself  to  say,  in  the  pulpit,  what  often  appears 
uncommon  and  extraordinary,  and  what,  by  many  people,  is 
taken  for  a  useless  and  wild  eccentricity.  But,  to  a  mind  free 
from  refinement,  everything  said  in  this  manner  comes  with 
double  weight.     It  approaches  to  the  nature  of  the  marvellous. 


216  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

which  is  the  strongest  power  by  which  the  human  mind  is  gov- 
erned. 

"  To  me,  it  appears  not  to  be  enough  considered  how  much 
harm  is  done  by  being  tedious  and  tiresome.  It  is  this  that 
makes  empty  pews  in  so  many  churches.  Of  my  own  sermons, 
1  feel  perfectly  certain  that  they  have  done  more  harm,  by  being 
wearisome  and  by  setting  people  asleep,  than  they  ever  did  by 
being  uncommon.  I  certainly  allow  that  in  my  mode  of  preach- 
ing it  is  very  easy  to  go  too  far.  The  very  attempt  itself  to 
write  a  striking  sermon  unavoidably  exposes  one  to  the  danger 
of  writing  a  bad  one ;  for  it  is  a  very  thin  division  that  separates 
what  is  very  bad  from  what  is  very  good.  This  division  is 
sometimes  so  very  slight  that  it  cannot  be  seen  at  all.  It  always 
occurs  to  me,  that  going  too  far  will  never  be  discovered  by  the 
greatest  part  of  my  hearers,  if  I  cannot  find  it  out  myself;  and 
as  to  the  judicious  few,  I  always  give  them  credit  for  being  sat- 
isfied with  my  intentions,  though  not  with  my  judgment." 

You  inquire,  "  Why  call  persons  forward  to  be  prayed  for  ? 
Why  make  such  invidious  distinctions  in  your  congregations  ? 
Could  not  God  convert  them  in  any  other  part  of  the  chapel,  as 
well  as  at  the  communion-rails  ? " 

1.  Because  there  are  "distinctions"  in  reality,  produced  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  before  we  make  them  by  separation. 

2.  If  God  has  told  us  to  pray  one  for  another,  that  we  may  be 
healed,  is  it  not  reasonable  that  we  should  know  who  they  are 
that  require  to  be  healed  ? 

3.  By  this  means  we  are  made  acquainted  with  their  partic- 
ular state  of  mind,  and  the  hindrances  with  which  they  may  have 
to  contend.  We  are  thus  enabled  to  give  them  instruction  suit- 
able to  their -circumstances,  and  to  spread  their  whole  case  before 
the  Lord. 

4.  Sympathy  is  thereby  excited  in  the  hearts  of  praying  men. 
It  is  not  possible  to  see  so  many  persons  in  distress  for  their 
souls,  and  thus  separated  from  the  congregation,  without  having 
one's  feelings  deeply  interested  in  their  salvation.  But  sympa- 
thy, fervency,  and  the  prayer  of  faith,  are  very  closely  con- 
nected. 


REVIVAL    PREACHING.  217 

5.  Frequently  such  a  test  as  that  of  coming  forward  to  be 
prayed  for  leads  to  a  decision,  the  consequences  of  which  may 
be  eternal. 

6.  This  public  avowal  of  their  determination  to  leave  the 
ranks  of  sin,  while  it  commits  them  to  the  cause  of  God,  and 
raises  a  barrier  against  their  return,  not  unfrequently  has  a  very 
powerful  influence  upon  those  who  are  yet  undecided. 

7.  We  find  that  those  who  take  such  a  decided  step  obtain,  by 
doing  so,  a  much  greater  earnestness  of  soul  than  those  awakened 
sinners  who  conclude  to  remain  in  their  seats. 

8.  That  God  could  convert  them  in  "  any  other  part  of  the 
chapel,"  we  do  not  deny ;  but  nineteen  out  of  twenty  of  those 
who  get  saved  in  this  blessed  work  of  God  have  thus  come  for- 
ward to  be  prayed  for  publicly.  If  the  revival  be  of  God,  this  is 
a  part  of  it  which  he  has  evidently  acknowledged.  But,  to 
inquire,  Why  are  more  converted  at  the  communion-rail  than  in 
other  parts  of  the  house  of  God  ?  would  be  as  wise,  perhaps,  as 
to  question  the  propriety  of  the  angel  passing  by  all  the  streams 
and  pools  in  Palestine,  and  honoring  only  Bethesda,  as  a  place 
for  healing  the  "  impotent  folk." 

19 


CHAPTER  ly. 

METHODS    OF   PROMOTINa   A   REVIVAL. 

You  say,  "  Your  experience  has  been  far  more  extensive  than 
mine.  I  should  like  to  inquire  whether  all  these  extraordinary 
movements  begin  and  proceed  in  the  same  way ;  I  mean  by 
such  protracted  efforts,  and  by  calling  people  forward  to  be 
prayed  for,  and  so  on  ? "  No,  not  always.  I  witnessed  a  revi- 
val, several  years  ago,  when  they  did  not  call  penitents  forward 
to  be  prayed  for  at  all.  The  truth  was  preached  to  the  people 
in  a  very  pointed  manner,  and,  after  each  sermon,  the  congrega- 
tion was  requested  to  kneel  and  pray  to  God  as  the  necessities 
of  their  souls  demanded.  The  work  of  God  broke  forth  in 
power,  and  witnesses  were  raised  up  on  every  hand  that  Jesus 
Christ  had  power  upon  earth  to  forgive  sins.  We  were  com- 
pelled, however,  to  take  such  a  course,  on  account  of  having  so 
few  brethren  to  help  in  vocal  prayer. 

A  revival  commenced  in  a  certain  place  by  the  following 
means  :  Two  or  three  pious  young  men  agreed  to  meet  in  the 
chapel,  at  a  certain  time,  to  pray  for  a  revival.  They  had  never 
seen  anything  of  the  kind ;  but  almost  the  entire  population 
were  "  lying  in  the  arms  of  the  wicked  one,"  and  they  consid- 
ered this  a  proper  and  scriptural  method  for  their  rescue.  Their 
minds,  also,  were  greatly  distressed  on  account  of  the  low  state 
of  religion.  The  society  had  dwindled  down  to  a  few ;  and  it 
was  so  long  since  the  place  had  been  visited  by  an  outpouring 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  the  leaders  knew  little,  if  anything,  about 
a  revival,  and  of  course  felt  indifferent  as  to  such  a  Divine  man- 
ifestation. The  young  men  continued  to  hold  their  meetings. 
Their  timidity  forbade  them  to  ask  a  light  (for  their  time  of 
prayer  was  in  the  night),  but  they  knew  that  darkness  and  light 


METHODS    OF    PROMOTING   A    REVIVAL.  219 

were  both  alike  to  a  prayer-hearing  God.  In  that  dark  chapel, 
night  after  night,  did  they  pour  out  their  souls  in  prayer  for  the 
inhabitants  of  the  place. 

Two  months  had  nearly  passed  away,  and  sinners  appeared 
quite  as  indifferent  as  ever;  but  they  were  not  discouraged,  and 
continued  their  meetings.  About  the  close  of  the  ninth  week,  on 
the  night  of  a  public  prayer-meeting,  two  young  men,  hitherto 
careless  and  wicked,  were  in  great  distress,  and  disturbed  the 
few  present  with  their  sobs  and  groans  for  mercy.  This  was  a 
new  thing,  but  not  sufficient  to  impress  the  old  professors.  They 
were  upon  the  eve  of  a  glorious  revival,  and  knew  it  not.  The 
people  were  dismissed,  and  no  further  attention  paid  to  the  inci- 
dent. The  praying  youths,  however,  had  prayed  and  wept  too 
long  to  be  indifferent;  but  there  was  no  meeting  for  public 
prayer  till  the  following  Thursday  night.  "Oh!"  said  the  per- 
son who  related  the  circumstance  to  me,  and  who  was  one  of 
the  party  which  composed  the  secret  prayer-meeting;  "oh!  it 
appeared  to  be  a  month  till  the  next  meeting."  The  official  men, 
in  the  mean  time,  foreboding  some  disturbance,  became  "  ner- 
vous," and  exceedingly  afraid  of  excitement.  Thursday  night 
arrived,  and  the  place  was  crowded.  No  one  could  tell  why 
there  was  such  an  unusual  stir ;  the  secret  was  with  the  young 
men.  Information  reached  the  preacher  stationed  on  the  cir- 
cuit. He  came,  and  recognized  it  at  once  as  the  beginning  of  a 
great  work  of  God,  and  entered  into  it  with  the  usual  zeal  of  a 
Methodist  minister.  He  adjourned  the  meeting  into  the  chapel. 
The  official  members  followed, curious  to  see  the  results;  but  in 
a  short  time  God  touched  their  hearts,  and  opened  their  eyes, 
and  they  were  compelled  to  exclaim,  "  Surely  God  is  in  this 
place,  and  we  knew  it  not."  It  was  not  long  before  scores  of 
converted  souls  were  added  to  the  little  society. 

I  could  name  a  place  where  a  revival  began,  a  few  years  ago, 
under  the  following  circumstances  : 

The  society  had  long  been  in  a  low  state  of  religious  feeling, 
although  additions,  from  time  to  time,  had  been  made  to  their 
numbers.  The  previous  preachers  had  been  successful  in  win- 
ning people  out  of  the  world  into  the  church ;    but  it  would 


220  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

seem  they  had  had  little  success  in  converting  them  to  Christ. 
Whether  it  was  on  account  of  the  generally  dead  state  of  the 
members,  or  the  indistinctness  of  their  method  of  preaching  jus- 
tification by  faith  and  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  or  that  they 
did  not  bestow  sufficient  labor  to  have  such  awakened  sinners 
actually  saved,  the  great  day  must  declare. 

A  new  preacher  was  sent  to  the  town  by  Conference.  Like 
a  faithful  man  of  God,  he  entered  immediately  upon  a  close 
examination  of  the  classes,  and  was  surprised  and  distressed,  as 
we  may  suppose,  to  find  upwards  of  two  hundred  persons,  who, 
from  their  own  admission,  had  never  experienced  anything  more 
than  mere  conviction  for  sin.  Afterwards  he  met  the  leaders, 
described  to  them  the  mournful  condition  of  the  church,  and 
entreated  them  to  exhort  those  whom  they  knew  to  be  in  an 
unconverted  state  to  press  into  the  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God.  The  local  preachers  of  that  circuit  were  a  numerous  and 
respectable  body.  God  at  this  time  began  to  awaken  them,  in  a 
deeper  manner  than  formerly,  to  the  necessity  of  mental  improve- 
ment. They  formed  themselves  into  a  theological  society,  and 
met  once  a  week  for  the  discussion  of  subjects  of  divinity.  Two 
objects  were  constantly  kept  in  view :  1.  To  obtain  a  better  un- 
derstanding of  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel ;  and,  2.  That  they 
might  be  qualified  to  preach  those  doctrines  in  a  clearer  and 
more  eflfectual  manner. 

These  "  conversations "  became  increasingly  interesting,  and 
resulted  in  a  deeper  conviction  than  they  had  ever  realized  of 
the  necessity  of  preaching  a  present  salvation  to  their  hearers  ; 
and,  moreover,  that  it  was  their  duty  and  privilege  to  expect  an 
immediate  effect. 

From  this  time,  the  style  of  their  preaching  improved  with 
the  clearness  of  their  perceptions  of  truth,  combined  with  more 
expansive  and  enlightened  views  as  to  the  great  design  of  the 
Gospel  to  bring  sinners  at  once  to  Christ.  One,  and  then 
another,  got  out  of  his  "old  beaten  track,"  and  aimed  directly 
at  .the  conversion  of  sinners.  In  the  mean  time  their  congrega- 
tions increased  surprisingly.  The  spirit  of  prayer  and  expecta- 
tion came  down  upon  believers.    Faith,  in  reference  to  a  general 


METHODS    OF    PROMOTING    A    REVIVAL.  221 

revival  of  God's  work,  increased  daily.  Many  sinners  were 
"  pricked  in  their  heart ;"  and  this  took  place  so  repeatedly  in 
the  ordinary  services,  but  certainly  under  extraordinary  preach- 
ing, that  they  could  conceal  their  disquietude  no  longer,  and 
cries  for  mercy  became  of  frequent  occurrence.  Additional 
meetings  were  now  appointed.  Crowds  attended  the  meetings 
for  prayer,  as  well  as  ibr  preaching.  The  local  preachers  coop- 
erated with  their  pastor,  gave  up  their  theological  meeting,  and, 
in  their  turn,  preached  the  Gospel  with  great  power.  The  ser- 
vices were  continued  eveiy  night  for  a  considerable  length  of 
time,  and  nearly  five  hundred  sinners  were  converted  to  God, 
from  nine  years  of  age  to  ninety. 

An  account  of  a  revival  now  lies  before  me,  which  occurred 
in  another  denomination.  The  minister  of  that  church,  whom 
God  has  greatly  honored  for  his  faithfulness,  in  giving  an  account 
of  the  revival,  states  that  his  church  got  into  a  very  low,  despond- 
ing condition,  and  matters  became  so  gloomy  that  he  was  upon 
the  point  of  asking  a  dismission.  Unlike  some,  he  could  not 
sit  down  at  his  ease,  knowing  that  his  labors  were  not  blessed, 
careless  whether  poor  sinners  were  saved  or  damned.  No  !  he 
could  not  bear  the  thought  of  staying  any  longer  in  a  place 
where  he  was  conscientiously  convinced  he  was  useless.  The 
time  of  extremity  was  God's  opportunity.  One  Sabbath  night, 
the  Spirit  of  God  arrested  a  young  man.  He  desired  to  see  the 
pastor,  and  opened  his  mind  on  the  subject  of  his  distress.  A 
meeting  for  prayer  had  been  appointed  for  that  week ;  and  when 
the  time  for  beginning  the  prayer-meeting  arrived,  to  his  aston- 
ishment, the  place  was  crowded.  A  large  number  of  persons 
were  there,  deeply  distressed  on  account  of  their  sins. 

From  that  hour  the  revival  advanced  in  power ;  and,  accord- 
ing to  the  last  account  I  heard,  the  number  converted  and  added 
to  his  church  was  above  sixty  souls,  and  many  more  were 
expected  to  unite  themselves  to  it. 

In  preaching,  facts  are  my  materials,  and  not  theories.  Not 
that  I  am  insensible  of  the  benefit  of  theories ;  they  are  very 
good  in  their  place,  nor  do  I  neglect  them.  They  may  be  to  a 
19# 


222  REVIVAL     MISCELLANIES. 

discourse  what  a  foundation  is  to  a  building.  A  foundation 
answers  no  purpose,  unless  an  edifice  be  raised  upon  it ;  but  we 
want  more  than  the  foundation,  in  the  construction  of  a  seemly- 
specimen  of  correct  architecture.  A  sermon,  all  theoiy,  is  nei- 
ther pleasing,  profitable,  nor  eflfectual.  I  consider  a  theorem^ 
of  course,  in  the  sense  of  a  religious  truth  laid  down  as  a  prin- 
ciple, and  treated  in  a  speculative  manner,  without  any  illustra- 
tion whatever.  Our  Lord  never  neglected  first  principles,  but 
he  never  speculated  upon  them.  He  seldom  advanced  a  theolog- 
ical principle,  in  the  absence  of  an  historical  fact ;  nor  the  sim- 
plest moral  truth,  without  an  illustration  of  some  kind,  real  or 
supposed. 

The  world  is  calling  out  for  "  illustrated  science,"  in  every 
department  of  literature.  There  is  everywhere  a  dissatisfaction 
with  dry  definitions  and  vague  speculations.  In  a  late  London 
periodical  there  is  a  very  severe  critique  upon  a  certain  work 
entitled  "A  History  and  Geography  of  Central  Asia."  The 
reviewer  tells  us  that  it  is  a  very  learned  and  a  very  useless 
work.  After  inquiring,  What  matters  it  to  us  of  the  present 
day  where  imaginary  rivers  ran  through  doubtful  provinces, 
watering  apocryphal  cities  some  centuries  ago,  belonging  to 
hordes  of  barbarians,  shifting  as  the  sands  with  which  they  are 
surrounded,  and  often  overwhelmed  ?  he  asserts,  that  all  these 
should  give  way  to  actual  observation.  "  The  world,"  says  he, 
"  demands  facts,  and  facts  only,  and  turns  aside  with  disgust  from 
mere  speculation.  A  few  pages,  from  the  latest  travellers  who 
have  explored  those  regions,  are  worth  more  than  hundreds  of 
volumes  of  mere  controversy."  With  the  above  work  I  have 
nothing  to  do,  for  I  have  never  seen  it ;  but  the  remarks  of  the 
critic  are  just. 

It  is  a  remarkable  peculiarity  of  the  scientific  lecturers  of  the 
present  age,  that  they  are  universally  fond  of  illustrating  their 
principles  by  facts. 

A  few  years  ago,  I  was  invited  by  a  surgeon  to  hear  a  medical 
lecture,  in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  The  platform  was  honored  by  the  presence  of 
several  talented  physicians.    We  had  been  seated  but  a  few  min- 


METHODS    OF    PROMOTING    A    REVIVAL.  223 

utesjwhen  an  active  little  man,  aged  about  fifty,  made  his  appear- 
ance on  the  platform,  Professor  ^  =^  ^,  and  was  cheered  by  the 
students.  He  announced  his  subject  immediately :  "  The  influ- 
ence of  the  nerves  upon  the  mind,  and  of  the  mind  upon  the 
nerves."  Brisk,  lively,  and  eloquent,  he  had  our  attention  in  a 
moment,  nor  did  he  lose  it  during  the  entire  lecture.  Principles 
were  laid  down  at  once ;  but,  instead  of  supporting  theories  by 
theories,  and  discussing  them  in  the  dry  technicalities  peculiar 
to  the  medical  science,  as  I  expected,  he  came  forward  with 
facts,  undeniable  facts,  drawn  from  his  own  experience,  and  the 
observation  of  others.  Real  life  and  history  were  called  upon 
for  contribution,  without  apology.  Every  eye  was  fixed  upon 
the  animated  speaker,  every  mind  was  interested.  Principles, 
to  some,  might  have  been  unintelligible,  to  others  questionable, 
but  his  facts  were  irresistible, 

I  here  received  a  lesson  on  preaching,  which  I  trust  will  never 
be  forgotten.  Many  of  our  hearers  understand  our  theological 
terms  very  w^ell ;  and  though  they  require  no  illustration  to  deepen 
their  convictions  of  the  truths  of  our  holy  religion,  yet  focts  may 
make  them  feel,  and  there  is  enjoyment  in  feeling,  when  the 
heart  is  rightly  tuned  by  the  grace  of  God.  To  many  of  our 
hearers,  however,  theological  technicalities  may  be  quite  unin- 
telligible, and  are  but  partially  understood,  even  when  we  have 
done  our  best  at  defining ;  while  to  others,  after  all  our  effort, 
they  may  be  questionable  or  uninteresting.  The  effects  of  mere 
statements  of  truth  and  explication  of  terms,  upon  the  minds  of 
both  classes,  are  generally  vague  and  superficial,  and  are  easily 
obliterated ;  as  letters  draw^n  upon  the  sand  are  washed  out  by 
the  coming  wave.  But  they  will  understand  facts,  and  remem- 
ber them,  too,  nor  will  they  readily  fade  away  from  the  mind. 
Like  a  stone  in  the  sand,  a  fact  may  imbed  itself  in  the  mind, 
and  stamp  upon  it  an  indelible  impression  of  the  truth  of  that 
which  has  been  thus  illustrated.  A  judicious  writer  has'well 
observed,  —  "  The  most  important  truths,  as  we  are  now  consti- 
tuted, make  but  a  very  slight  impression  on  the  mind,  unless 
they  enter  first  like  a  picture  into  the  imagination,  and  from 


224  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

thence  are  stamped  upon  the  memory."  ^  "  May  not  the 
sinner,"  says  another,  "  as  well  be  hearkening  to  a  mathema- 
tician demonstrating  Euclid's  Elements,  as  to  a  preacher  on^?/ 
proving  a  point  of  Christianity  ? " 

Exceptions  to  this  statement  may  occur  to  your  mind.  "  Prov- 
ing a  point  in  Christianity  "  may  have  its  effect;  indeed,  I  think 
it  is  quite  necessary ;  for  we  need  line  upon  line,  and  precept 
upon  precept.  As  those  who  have  learned  the  Greek  grammar, 
and  have  studied  the  language  well,  find,  on  neglecting  it  for  a 
time,  an  inexpertness  in  translating,  and  no  small  difficulty  in 
recalling  first  principles,  to  grapple  with  the  root  and  its 
branches;  so  it  is  necessary  to  have  our  memories  refreshed 
again  and  again  with  the  true  meaning  of  every  point  in  Chris- 
tianity. But,  observe,  the  above  writer  says,  "  Only  proving  a 
point."  Now,  the  minister  of  Jesus  whose  heart  is  influenced 
by  one  desire  and  aim  will  not  content  himself  with  having 
convinced  the  hearer  of  the  truth  of  any  one  point  of  Chris- 
tianity; but  he  will  grapple  with  the  conscience,  and  his  ingenious 
mind  will  range  through  heaven,  and  earth,  and  hell,  for  facts 
and  illustrations ;  nor  will  he  allow  the  sinner  to  get  away,  till 
he  is  forced,  if  possible,  to  feel  that  he  has  need  of  everything 
Jesus  Christ  hath  purchased  for  him  by  his  most  precious 
blood. 

A  few  of  the  above  remarks  will  apply  to  some  of  your  "  pro- 
posed views  "  upon  revivals.  We  may  theorize  and  philosophize 
upon  revivals  for  years';  but  a  minister  will  learn  more  on  the 
subject  in  one  week,  when  the  Gospel  is  taking  effect  upon  sin- 
ners, producing  its  distinct  and  positive  results  in  their  conver- 
sion, than  he  could  by  many  years  of  mere  theorizing. 

We  may  say  of  a  certain  kind  of  revival  speculations,  what  a 
writer  remarked  respecting  a  review  when  compared  with  the 
actual  scenes  peculiar  to  the  real  battle-field,  — "  It  has  been 
truly  said,  that  nothing  is  so  unlike  a  battle  as  a  review."  "  The 

*  ''There  were  times,"  says  an  intelligent  friend  of  mine,  "  when  laws 
were  chanted,  and  Orpheus  and  Amphion  were  both,  it  is  believed,  poetical 
legislators,  as  were  almost  all  legislators  among  barbarous  people,  whose 
reason  must  be  addressed  through  the  medium  of  the  imagination." 


METHODS    OF    PROMOTING    A    REVIVAL.  225 

art  of  war,"  says  another,  "  is  one  of  those  sciences  which  no 
theory  or  application  of  fixed  and  established  rules  can  possibly 
teach ;  it  is  one  thing  to  write  from  experience  of  the  past,  and 
another  to  acquire  a  facility  of  directing  operations  by  a  servile 
adherence  to  the  maxims  of  others." 

I  have  known  places,  however,  where  they  had  no  revival ; 
but  an  account  of  a  revival  at  a  distance,  given  by  an  intelligent 
observer,  who  has  engaged  in  it  himself,  has  there  produced  the 
most  salutary  effects.  Indeed,  this  may  in  part  account  for  the 
prevalence  of  revivals  throughout  the  United  States.  Popular 
periodicals  have  what  they  term  "  The  Revival  Department." 
These  papers  circulate  through  all  the  cities,  towns,  and  villages, 
of  the  nation .  It  is  seldom  any  of  them  appear  without  an  account 
of  six,  seven,  or  a  dozen  revivals ;  the  instrumentality  which 
God  has  been  pleased  to  acknowledge  and  honor,  with  most  of 
the  remarkable  peculiarities  of  each,  are  there  stated,  and  read 
by  many  hundreds  of  thousands.  The  population  of  the  country 
is  thus  made  familiar  with  revivals.  Such  descriptions  fan  the 
revival  flame  in  the  hearts  of  ministers  and  people.  A  revival 
which  has  occurred,  or  is  going  forward,  in  such  a  place,  becomes 
the  theme  of  general  conversation.  Often  the  effects  are  thrill- 
ing and  powerful  beyond  description.  An  entire  church  will  be 
thrown  into  a  state  of  sanctified  excitement,  after  reading  or  hear- 
ing the  account  of  a  revival  in  some  city  or  town  with  which 

they  are  acquainted.    "  The  revival  in "  is  talked  of  in  the 

counting-house,  work-shop,  parlor,  and  kitchen  ;  and  why  should 
it  not  ?  Is  it  not  a  mighty  and  a  glorious  event ;  before  which  the 
interests  of  science,  commerce,  and  politics,  should  disappear,  as 
stars  before  the  sun  arising  in  his  glory  ?  It  is  then  that  the 
inquiry  goes  forth  with  emphatic  meaning,  —  "  Why  may  not 
we  have  a  revival,  as  well  as  the  people  of  such  a  place  ?  Why 
may  not  we  use  the  means  which  they  used  ?  Is  God  any  more 
a  respecter  of  places  than  of  persons?"  Frequently  such 
revival  news  produces  great  "  searchings  of  heart,"  both  among 
preachers  and  people.  It  is  impossible,  now,  to  persuade  each 
other  that  they  are  doing  as  well  as  they  might,  or  equally  well 
with  other  parts  of  the  church.     They  now  know  to  the  con- 


226  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

trary;  ami  facts  cannot  be  put  down,  nor  conversation  hushed. 
Fine  preaching,  learned  and  eloquent  preaching,  will  not  satisfy 
the  church.  The  people  of  God  ask  for  effects  ;  they  inquire 
for  results.  There  is  deep  humiliation  in  certain  quarters,  and  a 
provoking  to  love  and  good  works ;  nor  will  they  rest  satisfied  till 
their  ministry  and  town  are  honored  with  a  similar  out-pouring 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  the  course  of  a  few  months,  their  prayers 
are  answered ;  their  ministers  preach  as  they  never  did  before ; 
sinners  are  broken  down,  and  are  turning  to  God  on  every  hand; 
so  that  their  town  appears,  in  its  turn,  in  the  Revival  Depart- 
ment, with  all  the  circumstances  of  a  gracious  visitation ;  and 
similar  effects  are  produced  upon  other  declining  churches. 

It  frequently  happens  that  these  revivals,  published  in  the 
papers  referred  to,  have  occurred  in  towns  and  circuits  where 
certain  preachers  labored  with  very  little  success.  The  effects 
upon  their  minds  are,  of  course,  peculiarly  stirring;  leading 
them  to  deep  humiliation  before  God,  and  to  earnest  resolutions 
to  be  more  faithful  and  zealous ;  many  of  them,  in  fact,  never 
rest  till  similar  results  attend  their  preaching. 

The  successive  accounts  of  such  revivals  never  lose  their 
interest.  Nor  have  I  ever  known  the  people  express  a  want  of 
confidence  in  such  communications.  The  periodicals  bearing 
the  revival  news  are  circulated,  generally,  in  the  very  places 
where  the  revivals  are  stated  to  have  occurred,  and  are  read  by 
numerous  subscribers,  who  certainly  would  contradict  the  state- 
ments, if  untrue.  Besides,  such  articles  are  never  printed  unless 
sent  by  a  responsible  person ;  they  are  usually  written  by  the 
preacher  in  charge  of  the  circuit,  and  thus  the  veracity  of  the 
narrative  is  considered  as  unquestionable.  This  secures  the 
religious  public  from  exaggerated  statements ;  they  are,  there- 
fore, read  with  all  confidence,  and  held  in  undiminished  reputa- 
tion. I  am  sorry  the  religious  periodicals  of  England  have  not, 
generally,  such  a  department  in  their  columns.  Is  it  because 
revivals  are  too  numerous  to  be  thus  noticed,  or  that  their  rarity 
renders  a  Revival  Department  unnecessary  ?  For  many  reasons, 
I  should  consider  it  a  serious  disaster  to  the  church  of  God  in 
America,  if  such  accounts  of  revivals  were  suppressed. 


METHODS    OF    PROMOTING   A    REVIVAL.  227 

The  "  one  case  of  conversion  "  you  mention  nnay  stand  in  the 
same  relation  to  a  revival  as  the  first  drop  to  the  coming 
shower.^  When  twenty,  thirty,  fifty,  or  one  hundred,  get  con- 
verted to  God  within  a  few  hours,  days,  or  weeks,  then  it  is 
that  the  divine  glory  has  descended  upon  the  tabernacle,  and  the 
arm  of  God  is  being  made  bare,  in  an  extraordinary  revival  of 
pure  religion.  This  is  the  sign  between  God  and  his  praying 
people  ;  this  is  the  visible  token  that  he  has  come  down  into  the 
midst  of  them,  for  purposes  of  mercy,  —  that  is,  for  the  revival  of 
his  own  work.  It  is  as  much  their  privilege  to  "  accept  the 
sign,"  when  one  sinner  has  been  converted  in  their  assembly,  as 
when  fifty  are  pardoned ;  and  to  be  assured,  that  if  he  have 
saved  one,  he  is  able  and  willing  to  save  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands. But  why  does  he  not?  Because  it  does  not  always 
happen  that  his  people  recognize  the  token  of  his  presence,  nor 
the  indications  of  his  will.  There  is  now  the  sound  of  abun- 
dance of  rain ;  one  drop  is  frequently  the  forerunner  of  as  heavy 
a  shower,  as  the  descent  of  fifty  in  a  moment.  It  is  thus  the 
Lord  usually  signifies  to  his  ministers  and  people  that  he  is 
ready  and  willing  to  work,  if  they  will  but  cooperate.  He  has 
now  come  down,  they  may  depend  upon  it,  to  make  them  and 
the  places  around  about  his  hill  a  blessing.  Ezek.  32 :  26. 
God  has  appeared  in  his  temple,  "  to  beautify  the  house  of  his 
glory."  And,  if  they  enter  into  his  gracious  designs,  the  time 
is  near  at  hand  when  the  Lord  shall  inquire  of  that  church, 
"  Who  are  these  that  fly  like  a  cloud,  and  as  the  doves  to  their 
windows  ? "  Let  her  ministers  and  members  reply,  "  These  are 
thine,  oh  Lord  God,  souls  but  newly  found  in  thee ;  gathered  and 
gathering  into  thy  church,  that  they  may  obtain  a  preparation 
for  their  final  flight  into  paradise."  Let  them  answer  thus ;  and 
they  will  soon  have  it  impressed  upon  their  hearts  by  the  Lord 
God  of  hosts,  "  Therefore,  thy  gates  shall  be  open  continually ; 
they  shall  not  be  shut  day  nor  night."  Isaiah  60:  IL     If  they 

*  At  the  first  meeting  we  held  in  Sheffield,  May  12th,  1S44,  in  which  we 
called  penitent  sinners  forward  for  prayer,  there  was  but  one  saved  ;  but 
the  next  meeting  was  crowned  with  fifty,  and  so  it  went  on  till  more  than 
two  thousand  were  converted  to  God. 


228  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

now  throw  open  the  gates  of  Zion ;  have  preaching  every  night, 
or  day  and  night,  for  weeks,  as  they  do  in  many  parts  of  the 
United  States ;  visiting  from  house  to  house  in  the  intervals  of, 
the  services,  and  urging  the  sinners  of  the  entire  population  to 
abandon  their  sins,  and  return  to  their  offended  God,  who  has 
come  down  to  save  every  sinner  in  the  place ;  —  then  will  God 
shake  the  trembling  gates  of  hell ;  they  shall  see  Zion  in  great 
prosperity,  and  multitudes  of  converted  sinners  added  to  the 
ranks  of  the  faithful. 

It  may  be  because  of  the  close  connection  which  exists  often 
between  the  conversion  of  one  sinner  and  that  of  hundreds,  that 
our  Saviour  tells  us,  "  There  is  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels 
of  God  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth." 

The  Lord,  my  brother,  may  have  manifested  his  power  in  the 
behalf  of  that  one  soul,  in  answer  to  the  cries,  perhaps,  of  one  or 
two  devoted  members  of  your  church.  And,  if  the  effectual 
fervent  prayer  of  one  righteous  man  avails  so  much  with  God, 
how  much  more  the  united  prayers  of  your  entire  church !  "  If 
one  sigh  of  a  true  Christian,"  says  an  old  divine,  "  wafts  the  bark 
to  the  desired  haven,  or  stirreth  Zion's  ship,  how  much  more  a 
gale  of  sighs,  breathed  by  hundreds  of  believers!  If  one 
trumpet  sounds  so  loudly  in  the  ears  of  God,  how  much  more  a 
concert  of  all  the  silver  trumpets  in  Zion  sounding  together  ! 
Where  so  many  hands  are  lifted  up,  how  many  blessings  may 
they  not  pull  down  from  heaven ! " 

We  must  do  God's  work  in  his  time.  But,  if  we  content  our- 
selves by  saying,  "  We  have  had  a  glorious  meeting,  —  a  revival 
has  begun,  su7'ely ;"  and  yet  appoint  no  additional  services  for 
the  week,  in  order  to  fan  the  flame  already  kindled,  the  next 
Sabbath  and  the  next,  we  may  find  that  he  is  not  with  us  ifi  our 
time.  It  may  be  with  us  as  with  the  Israelites  who  murmured 
against  Moses,  and  refused  to  go  up  and  possess  the  land  in 
God's  time.  They  believed  the  report  of  the  unbelieving  spies, 
and  offended  the  Lord,  who  had  intended  to  subdue  the  whole 
country  before  them.  Some  of  them  did  go  up  at  their  own 
time,  but  God  was  not  among  them,  and  they  fled  before  their 
enemies.     The  whole  congregation  of  Israel  were  ordered  to 


METHODS    OF    PROMOTING    A    REVIVAL.  229 

retrace  their  steps  into  the  wilderness ;  and  a  judicial  punish- 
ment was  inflicted,  which  extended  through  that  entire  genera- 
tion. Do  you  understand  me  ?  Can  you  make  the  application? 
I  have  seen  many  a  flame  of  reviving  piety  kindled  and 
extinguished  in  this  way. 

I  have,  however,  known  instances  when,  through  love  of  the 
world,  or  love  of  ease,  or  through  inattention  to  the  work  of  the 
Spirit  and  the  call  of  Providence,  churches  have  been  left  in  a 
state  of  great  barrenness ;  and  where  they  have  repented,  hum- 
bled themselves  before  God,  entered  the  field  of  conflict  for  a 
revival,  and  by  his  assistance  have  obtained  splendid  victories 
over  the  powers  of  hell. 

A  minister  of  my  acquaintance  visited  an  American  town, 
some  years  ago.  He  had  only  preached  a  few  sermons,  when 
many  sinners  were  awakened,  and  about  twenty  found  salva- 
tion. But  a  few  persons  of  importance  were  of  opinion  that 
the  ordinary  services  were  sufficient,  and  discouraged  the  active 
brethren,  who,  rather  than  cause  any  unpleasant  feelings  in 
certain  quarters,  held  back.  The  Spirit  of  God  was  grieved, 
and  the  revival  stopped.  The  man  of  God  was  disheartened, 
and  went  to  another  town,  where  ministers  and  people  made 
him  welcome,  commenced  hostilities  against  the  ranks  of  sin, 
and  the  result  was  an  extensive  revival,  —  hundreds  of  sinners 
were  converted.  News  of  these  displays  of  the  power  of  God 
reached  the  former  town,  and  caused  great  searchings  of  heart. 
They  saw  their  error,  humbled  themselves,  and  invited  him  to 
return.  In  the  mean  time,  to  show  how  sincere  were  their 
desires  for  a  revival,  they  began  special  services  of  their  own 
accord.  The  minister  returned,  and"  found  them  holding  their 
meetings  in  a  large  lecture-room.  He  proposed  that  they  should 
open  at  once  their  spacious  and  beautiful  chapel,  have  it  lighted 
brilliantly  every  night,  and  comfortably  warmed,  for  it  was  win- 
ter-time, and  thus  let  the  public  know  that  they  intended  to 
accomplish  something,  by  the  help  of  the  Most  High,  and  upon 
a  large  scale.  They  did  so.  During  the  first  and  second 
weeks,  sinners  were  very  hard,  although  they  had  preaching 
twice  a  day,  and  little  was  done.  At  length,  after  their  past 
20 


230  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

unbelief  and  indifference  had  been  well  chastised,  and  their 
faith  tried  to  the  uttermost,  the  Lord  came  down  amongst  them 
in  glorious  power,  and  sinners  were  slain  on  every  hand. 

Having  seen  their  error  in  the  former  instance,  they  resolved 
now  to  improve  this  victory  to  the  utmost.  Opposers  of  the 
first  effort  entered  fully  into  the  work,  and  the  revival  efforts 
were  continued  several  months,  and  the  saved  of  the  Lord  were 
very  many. 

Be  assured  your  responsibility  is  very  great.  Kealize,  1 
entreat  you,  in  what  position  you  are  placed.  I  now  under- 
stand all  you  describe.  At  one  period  of  my  ministry,  this 
would  not  have  been  the  case ;  I  should  have  united  with  others 
in  saying,  "  You  are  on  the  eve  of  a  glorious  revival."  Be  not 
deceived ;  the  sinners  of  the  nineteenth  century  are  well  versed 
in  the  art  of  procrastination.  There  is  not  a  faithful  minister 
in  England  who  has  not  learned  this  to  his  sorrow.  My  opinion 
is,  you  will  look  in  vain  for  an  extensive  revival,  unless  you 
^^ follow  the  blow''  with  a  succession  of  sermons  and  prayer- 
meetings.  "  The  heavens  are  big  with  rain,"  but  neither  one 
peal  of  thunder  nor  half  a  dozen  may  sufficiently  shake  them; 
a  score  may  be  required  to  bring  down  the  "  teeming  shower." 
Often  have  I  observed  such  clouds  of  mercy  gather  over  the 
people  of  my  charge;  but  they  have  passed  away,  and  the 
thirsty  land  has  remained  unwatered.  How  many  times  have 
I  seen  a  congregation,  on  a  Sabbath  night,  moved  as  if  the 
breezes  which  are  wafted  through  the  streets  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem had  swept  over  the  audience,  and  only  five  or  six  out  of 
the  affected  multitude  went  down  to  their  houses  justified  ! 
After  such  a  season,  I  have  heard  some  good  people  prophesy, 
"  Surely  a  great  revival  has  commenced !  "  But  here  the  mat- 
ter ended ;  month  succeeded  to  month,  and  no  general  revival 
took  place ;  and  very  few  were  gathered  from  the  world  into 
the  fold,  during  all  that  time.  And  why  ?  Either  because  we 
were  too  slothful,  or  ignorant  of  the  call  of  God,  or  too  busily 
engaged  in  other  matters  to  enter  into  the  designs  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  do  God's  work  in  his  own  time.  It  would  appear  as 
if  we  considered  our  only  duty  to  be  to  ivait^  and  be  still,  and 


METHODS    OF    PROMOTING   A    REVIVAL.  231 

expect  to  see  sinners  coming  by  scores,  of  their  own  accord, 
inquiring  what  they  should  do  to  be  saved ;  and  all  this  without 
any  extra  effort  on  our  part,  or  any  additional  meetings  beyond 
the  ordinary  ones.  But,  to  our  surprise,  sinners  became  as  hard 
and  careless  as  ever,  and  we  were  doomed  to  the  disappoint- 
ment which  our  supineness  deserved.  You  see,  my  brother,  we 
must  folloiv  up  and  i?njrrove  upon  a  victory.  One  whole  week, 
or,  indeed,  two  or  three  weeks,  of  special  services,  should  have 
succeeded  the  scene  you  witnessed  a  few  Sabbath  nights  since. 
Depend  upon  it,  had  you  done  so,  you  would  have  seen  a  glori- 
ous display  of  the  power  of  God  among  sinners.  It  has  been 
said  of  the  great  general,  Hannibal,  that  he  knew  how  to  obtain 
2l  victory,  but  not  to  improve  a  victory.  Let  heaven  and  earth, 
my  brother,  never  have  cause  to  say  this  of  you  again ;  that  is, 
if  to  ^^ improve  upon  the  victory"  lie  within  the  circle  of  possi- 
bilities. Remember  the  saying  of  the  old  Greek  poet,  —  I  shall 
give  it  you  in  plain  English :  "  No  wise  man  will  be  taken  a 
second  time  in  an  error  he  hath  suffered  for ;  "  rather  should  it 
not  be  the  glory  of  a  Christian  minister  to  compel  all  hell  to 
say  of  him,  as  did  the  enemies  of  a  certain  Roman  general,  "If 
he  obtain  a  victory  over  us,  he  fiercely  insults  us  and  pursues 
it ;  if  he  be  repulsed,  he  returns  afresh  "  ? 

You  have  read  that  the  dying  Elisha  commanded  King 
Joash  to  take  a  bunch  of  arrows,  and  smite  the  ground  with 
them.  2  Kings,  13:  IS,  19.  "  And  he  smote  thrice,  and  stayed." 
The  dying  prophet  was  deeply  grieved  in  spirit,  and  said,  "Thou 
shouldst  have  smitten  five  or  six  times ;  then  thou  hadst  smit- 
ten Syria  till  thou  hadst  consumed  it :  whereas,  now,  thou  shalt 
smite  Syria  but  thrice."  He  finally  obtained  only  three  victo- 
ries over  the  enemies  of  Israel ;  but  it  would  appear  that  God 
intended  to  have  given  him  five  or  six  signal  victories,  —  quite  to 
the  overthrow  of  Syria.  But  his  three  strokes,  perhaps,  indi- 
cated his  constitutional  tendency  to  slackness  or  indolence,  and 
were  an  intimation  that  a  few  victories  over  the  enemies  of  his 
God  would  satisfy  a  soul  fond  of  ease  and  quiet ;  and  that, 
when  just  upon  the  point  of  achieving  other  splendid  victories. 


232  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

the  hahit  would  allure  him  into  retirement,  there  to  enjoy  an 
inglorious  peace. 

Ah !  thou  man  of  God,  why  didst  thou  not  repeat  the  stroke  ? 
Now  thou  hast  obtained  but  one  small  victory ;  whereas,  God 
may  have  intended  thee  many,  and  may  have  purposed,  by 
many  strokes,  to  have  shaken  the  trembling  gates  of  hell,  quite 
to  the  overthrow  of  the  devil's  kingdom,  in  =^  ^  =^  ^ . 

Perhaps  the  Captain  of  your  salvation  may  soon  favor  you 
again  with  another  display  of  his  power.  If  so,  what  do  you 
purpose  ?  As  you  resolve,  so  execute.  Should  God  honor  you 
again,  as  I  believe  he  will,  confer  not  with  flesh  and  blood; 
regard  not  what  any  man  may  say :  improve  the  victory ;  push 
it  to  the  utmost.  Consider  Judges,  seventh  and  eighth  chapters. 
See  how  Gideon  improved  the  advantage  given  him  by  God. 
The  first  victory  resembled  the  beginning  of  some  revivals 
under  very  small  sermons,  that  God  might  have  all  the  glory. 
It  was  without  sword  or  spear,  for  the  battle  was  the  Lord's. 
Although  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  men  of  the  enemy 
that  drew  the  sword  had  fallen  that  day,  yet  Gideon  pushed  the 
victory  to  the  uttermost.  "  He  came  to  Jordan,  and  passed  over 
with  his  three  hundred  mQx\,  faint,  yet  pursuing  ;^^  and  went  up 
to  Nobah  and  Jogbehah,  and  smote  a  second  host,  "  for  the 
host  was  secure."  He  pursued  Zeba  also,  and  Zalmunna,  the 
two  kings  of  Midian,  and  took  them,  and  discomfited  all  the 
host.  Gideon  knew  how  to  improve  a  victory.  In  the  midst 
of  his  mighty  achievements,  there  were  some  fault-finders,  mur- 
murers,  the  men  of  Ephraim ;  and  there  were  opposers,  "  the 
princes  of  Succoth."  Gideon,  it  seems,  had  asked  bread  of 
them  for  his  little  army;  and  this  was  his  plea,  —  "For  they  be 
faint,  and  I  am  pursuing."  He  received  a  rough  reply.  Gideon, 
however,  knew  better  than  to  waste  precious  time  in  parleying ; 
but  to  the  men  of  Ephraim,  who  complained  bitterly  that  they 
had  not  been  called  out  at  the  beginning  of  the  battle,  that  they 
might  have  shared  in  the  glory  and  the  spoil,  Gideon  replied: 
"  What  have  I  now  done,  in  comparison  of  you  ?  Is  not  the 
gleaning  of  the  grapes  of  Ephraim  better  than  the  vintage  of 
Abi-czer?"     Some  have  supposed  this  passage  displaced,  and 


METHODS    OF    PROMOTING    A    REVIVAL.  233 

that  he  was  now  giving  them  credit  for  their  noble  and  vigorous 
improvement  of  the  victory ;  that  the  fact  of  their  having  taken 
the  two  Midianitish  generals,  and  discomfited  their  hosts  at  the 
passes  of  Jordan,  was  of  more  importance  than  if  they  had 
been  present  in  the  moment  of  i\ie first  victory  by  "the  sword 
of  the  Lord."  "Then  their  anger  was  abated  toward  him, 
when  he  had  said  that."  Judges  8:3.  "A  soft  answer  turneth 
away  wrath."  "  He  might  have  said,"  says  one,  "  that  he  could 
place  but  little  dependence  upon  his  brethren,  when,  through 
faint-heartedness,  twenty-two  thousand  of  them  left  him  at  one 
time ;  but  he  passed  this  by,  and  took  the  more  excellent  way." 
There  is  an  important  lesson  here  for  revivalists.  His  answer 
to  the  princes  of  Succoth  was  severe ;  but  the  men  of  Ephraim 
were  of  a  very  different  character,  and  had  heartily  repented 
of  their  neutrality. 

You  desire  my  opinion  of  a  certain  kind  of  preaching ;  but 
your  own  views  are  so  very  good,  I  know  not  that  I  can  add 
anything  material.  We  may  say  of  many  sermons,  as  the 
countryman,  of  an  exquisitely  painted  head :  "  What  an  excel- 
lent skull  is  this, —  and  yet  there  is  no  brain  in  it !  "  A  discourse 
fraught  with  "  picked  phrases,"  and  pretty  flowers  only,  but 
containing  nothing  to  arouse  the  sinner,  or  to  draw  believers 
into  more  entire  devotedness  to  God,  is  a  sad  misapplication  of 
talents.  We  may  say  of  such  a  discourse,  as  Herodotus  did  of 
the  head  of  Onesilus,  "  It  was  destitute  of  brains ;  and  instead 
thereof,  was  filled  with  honey-combs."  We  may  demur  against 
such  sermons,  as  did  Antalcides  of  the  garland  of  roses  sent 
him  by  the  King  of  Persia,  perfumed  with  sweet  spices  and 
odors.  He  accepted  them,  but  his  reply  in  Latin  was  equiva- 
lent to  this  :  "  The  natural  fragrance  of  the  roses  is  lost,  by  being 
mixed  with  artificial  odors  I "  There  is  much  of  this  kind  of 
"  artificial  perfumery  "  about  the  preaching  of  some  men. 

I  was  amused  with  a  writer,  the  other  day,  who,  when  speak- 
ing of  the  difference  between  superficial  preachers  and  those 
who  go  deeply  into  the  meaning  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  compared 
the  former  to  the  boys  of  apothecaries,  who  gather  broad  leaves 
and  white  flowers  from  the  surface  of  the  water ;  and  the  latter 
20^ 


234  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

to  accomplished  divers,  who  bring  up  precious  pearls  from  the 
bottom  of  the  deep. 

"There  is  a  difference,"  says  an  old  divine,  "between  wash- 
ing the  face  of  a  discourse  clean,  and  painting  it :  the  former  is 
beautiful  and  commendable ;  the  latter,  sinful  and  abominable. 
Ministers  must  mind  the  capacities  of  their  auditories,  and  not 
put  that  meat  into  their  mouths  which  their  teeth  cannot  chew, 
nor  the  stomach  concoct.  Their  sermons  of  quiddities  and  school 
niceties  may  (in  the  opinion  of  giddy  men)  tend  to  their  own 
praise,  but  never  to  their  hearers'  profit.  Such  men,  when  their 
children  ask  bread,  give  them  stones,  which  may  choke  them, 
but  will  not  nourish  them.  It  is  a  pity  he  should  ever  teach 
school,  that  will  not  speak  to  his  scholars  so  as  that  they  may 
understand." 

A  late  divine,  though  not  so  homely  in  his  phraseology,  is 
quite  as  severe  in  his  remarks  upon  the  wickedness  of  this  soul- 
famishing  and  gospel-dishonoring  preaching :  "  Indeed,  what  is 
more  unbecoming  a  minister  of  Christ  than  to  waste  his  animal 
spirits,  as  a  spider  does  his  bowels,  to  spin  a  web  only  to  catch 
flies ;  to  get  vain  applause,  by  a  foolish  pleasing  of  the  igno- 
rant? And  what  cruelty  is  it  to  the  souls  of  men!  It  is 
recorded  as  an  instance  of  Nero's  savage  temper,  that,  in  a  gen- 
eral famine,  when  many  perished  by  hunger,  he  ordered  that  a 
ship  should  come  from  Egypt  (the  granary  of  Italy)  laden  with 
sand  for  the  use  of  the  wrestlers.  In  such  extremity,  to  pro- 
vide only  for  delight,  that  there  might  be  spectacles  at  the  thea- 
tre, when  the  city  of  Rome  was  a  spectacle  of  such  misery  as 
to  melt  the  heart  of  any  but  a  Nero,  was  most  barbarous  cruelty. 
But  it  is  cruelty  of  a  heavier  imputation,  for  a  minister  to  pre- 
pare his  sermons  to  please  the  foolish  curiosity  of  fancy,  and 
flashing  conceits ;  nay,  such  light  vanities,  that  would  scarce  be 
endured  in  a  scene,  while  hungry  souls  languish  for  want  of 
•solid  nourishment." 

The  only  answer  I  can  give  to  your  closing  inquiry  is  this : 
"  We  must  not  only  strike  the  iron  when  it  is  hot,  but  strike  it 
tUZ  it  is  made  hot.  Great  occasions  must  not  be  waited  for,  but 
we  must  make  use  of  ordinary  opportunities  as  they  may  offer." 


METHODS    OF    PROMOTING    A    REVIVAL.  235 

Should  a  great  occasion  again  offer,  make  the  best  use  of  it 
within  your  power;  —  it  is  easy  to  hammer  out  iron  when  hot; 
but  if  circumstances  are  nothing  more  than  ordinary,  repeat  the 
blow,  and  strike  with  power,  nor  give  over  till  sinners  are  broken 
to  pieces  all  around  you,  by  the  power  of  God. 


CHAPTER  V. 

EFFECT    OF    REVIVAL    EFFORTS    ON    LUKEWARM    CHURCH- 
MEMBERS. 

The  impression  has  been  deepening  in  my  mind  for  several 
years,  that  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  become  deeply  concerned 
about  his  soul ;  and  that,  during  the  progress  of  his  uneasiness, 
he  may  be  led  to  give  up  many  of  his  sins,  and  exhibit  an 
external  and  visible  reformation,  and  yet  stop  short  of  Regenera- 
tion. 

The  visitations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  rebukes  of  his 
conscience,  may  have  constrained  him  to  renounce  the  company 
of  the  wicked  and  profane,  and  to  give  a  decided  preference  to 
the  society  of  real  Christians.  Having  united  with  some  branch 
of  the  church  of  God,  his  career  may  be  marked  all  along  by  a 
regular  attendance  upon  all  her  ordinances.  In  searching  the 
Scriptures,  also,  as  well  as  in  family  prayer,  in  asking  a  blessing 
at  his  table,  in  private  prayer,  and  in  the  entire  government  of 
his  household,  there  may  be  all  that  is  becoming  the  real  Chris- 
tian ;  and  yet  he  may  still  remain  an  unpardoned  and  uncon- 
verted sinner,  the  whole  of  his  visible  performances  being,  in 
the  estimation  of  God,  like  a  body  without  the  soul,  because  of 
the  absence  of  that  animating  spirit,  the  love  of  God  shed 
abroad  in  his  heart,  by  the  Holy  Ghost  given  unto  him.  A 
conviction  of  the  tremendous  truths  of  eternity,  and  the  priceless 
value  of  his  own  soul,  may,  indeed,  have  taken  fast  hold  of  his 
conscience;  but  the  "one  faith,"  by  which  a  penitent  is  freely 
forgiven  all  his  sins,  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  has  never  yet  been  once  exercised  by  his  pensive 
and  restless  mind.  Justification  by  faith,  all  this  time,  has  been 
to  him  a  mystery  unexplained.  The  man  has  been  seeking  rest 
in  the  "  outward  law,"  but  entirely  ignorant  of  its  "  deep  design." 


EFFECT    OF    REVIVAL    EFFORTS.  237 

It  has,  indeed,  condemned  him ;  it  has  left  its  curse  upon  his 
conscience;  but  it  has  not  been  the  "schoolmaster  to  bring  him 
to  Christ."  Throughout  his  entire  efforts,  the  Spirit  of  God  has 
never  made  a  single  visitation  to  his  heart,  as  a  witnessing 
spirit  that  he  is  a  child  of  God.  He  has,  indeed,  received  "  the 
spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear,"  but  not "  the  spirit  of  adoption," 
whereby  he  is  enabled  to  cry,  "Abba,  Father;"  "the  Spirit 
itself"  doth  not  "bear  witness"  with  his  spirit,  that  he  is  one 
of  the  children  of  God.     Rom.  8 :  15,  16. 

It  would  be  a  relief,  if  we  could  limit  such'  characters  to  two 
or  three  in  a  church.  Alas !  I  find  them  very  numerous,  in 
every  denomination  with  which  I  become  acquainted  ;  and  few 
things  occur  more  frequently  than  the  exclamation,  with  Nico- 
demus,  "  How  can  these  things  be  ? "  when  the  doctrines  of  the 
new  birth  are  pressed  home  upon  the  conscience. 

But  my  observations  have  extended  to  another  class  of  pro- 
fessors of  religion,  some  of  whom  are  members  of  various 
churches;  and,  dangerous  as  is  the  state  of  the  former,  the 
latter  is  still  more  so.  I  mean  those  who  are  living  in  the 
neglect  of  the  duties  of  religion,  and  who,  by  the  looseness  of 
their  lives,  afford  mournful  evidence  that  they  have  not  even 
been  awakened  to  a  serious  concern  for  salvation. 

Some,  of  both  classes,  I  have  found,  who  entertain  no  expect- 
ation of  being  saved  through  faith  in  the  merits  of  Christ  alone, 
but  through  the  "  good  mercy  of  God ;"  others,  I  have  observed, 
have  some  crude  notions  about  faith,  but  mixed  up  with  the 
neutralizing  idea  of  the  merit  of  works ;  while  most  have  denied 
the  possibility  of  any  person  knowing  his  sins  forgiven,  by  the 
witness  of  the«Spirit.  And,  to  rivet  them  in  their  unbelief,  there 
have  not  been  wanting  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  —  and  men 
called  "  evangelical,"  too, — who  have  positively  assured  some  of 
the  above,  who  were  brought  to  a  concern  about  their  souls,  that 
there  is  no  possibility  of  any  person  knowing  in  this  world  that 
God  has  accepted  him ;  denying,  most  roundly,  the  witness  of 
the  Spirit,  and  affirming,  vehemently,  that  the  only  evidence 
of  being  saved  from  guilt,  which  any  individual  can  have,  is 


238  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

that  of  his  moral  conduct,  and  those  deductions  which  he  is  at 
liberty  to  draw  therefrom. 

I  have  no  doubt,  whatever,  that  multitudes  join  the  various 
churches  of  this  land,  live  and  die  in  union  with  them,  without 
having  been  born  again  ;  and  what  have  they  gained  by  it,  but 
a  deeper  damnation  ?  Such  unhappy  persons  may  be  fitly  com- 
pared to  the  beasts  which  entered  Noah's  ark;  neither  their 
embarkation,  nor  the  terrors  of  the  deluge,  —  the  mercy  of  the 
Lord  displayed  in  their  preservation  while  other  brutes  perished, 
nor  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  by  Noah  and  his  family,  — 
wrought  any  radical  change  in  those  animals.  They  went  in 
brutes,  and  they  came  out  brutes ;  they  entered  the  ark  wild  and 
unclean,  and  they  departed  wild  and  unclean.  Be  it  so ;  they 
were  only  brutes,  and  the  God  that  made  them  never  designed 
they  should  be  anything  else.  This  is  not  the  case  with  the 
sinners  in  Zion  ;  they  may  be  converted,  and  become  saints  of  the 
most  high  God !  But  a  vast  number  of  both  classes,  already 
described,  enter  the  church  of  God,  and  remain  there  unchanged 
in  their  nature ;  and  leave  it  for  another  world  with  an  un- 
changed nature,  and  with  as  great  a  distaste  for  God  and  godli- 
ness as  characterized  their  carnal  mind  through  life.  We  have 
seen  some  of  them  stretched  upon  the  bed  of  their  last  sickness, — 
even  those  who  have  led  a  moral  life  ;  but  now,  unexpectedly 
called  to  die,  they  have  realized  the  inefficiency  of  all  their 
past  performances  to  bring  tranquillity  to  their  conscience,  or  to 
sustain  effectually  the  confidence  of  their  departing  spirit,  or  to 
inspire  them  with  courage  to  meet  the  decisions  of  their  Supreme 
Judge.  And  there  have  been  cases,  not  a  few,  in  which  the 
various  acts  of  rebellion  against  conscience  have  terrified  the 
soul;  "Life  has  been  all  retouched  again,"  and  with  a  finger 
of  fire  !  If  such  have  not  sunk  into  the  sullenness  of  despair,  it 
has  been  quite  as  distressing  to  the  minister  of  God  to  see  them 
gather  up  their  energies  to  die  with  something  like  manly  forti- 
tude, in  the  entire  absence  of  any  religious  comfort. 

A  few  solitary  cases,  it  is  true,  have  come  under  my  notice, 
where,  after  a  severe  struggle,  which  has  appeared  to  render  the 
last  sickness  as  the  agonies  of  a  "  double  death,"  the  persons 


EFFECT    OF    REVIVAL    EFFORTS.  239 

nave  ventured  at  last  upon  the  atoning  blood  of  the  Son  of  God ; 
and  we  have  seen  the  languid  eye  brighten,  with  the  expression, 
"My  God  is  reconciled,"  and  thus,  at  the  eleventh  hour,  they 
have  *'  escaped  with  the  skin  of  their  teeth."     Job  19  :  20. 

Such  death-bed  scenes,  however,  have  not  been  the  only  places 
where  I  have  learned  the  dangerous  state  of  many  deceived  souls. 
Facts  the  most  startling  have  come  before  me,  in  the  course  of 
my  ministry,  of  persons  who  had  been  living  long  in  church- 
fellowship,  without  any  internal  religion  whatever ;  but  who, 
under  the  searching  truth  of  God,  applied  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
were  brought  into  a  state  of  deep  concern,  and,  after  seeking  sal- 
vation with  many  tears,  found  it  to  the  joy  of  their  hearts. 

I  have  conversed  with  vast  numbers,  who  have  declared  that, 
though  they  had  long  sat  "  under  the  sound  of  the  Gospel,"  they 
had  never  been  "born  again,"  —  never  had  known  their  sins  to 
be  forgiven ;  that  they  had 

"Rested  in  the  outward  law. 
Nor  knew  its  deep  design." 

Such  cases  have  not  failed  to  awaken  my  attention  particu- 
larly to  this  class  of  my  hearers.  God  has  impressed  deeply 
upon  my  mind  the  necessity  of  dealing  faithfully  and  plainly 
with  professors  of  religion ;  and  that,  at  the  peril  of  my  future 
account,  such  must  not  be  overlooked  in  my  appeals  to  the  sin- 
ners of  the  world. 

And  thus  have  originated  those  discriminating  and  pointed 
appeals  to  the  consciences  of  those  who  have  been  intrenched 
for  years  w^ithin  the  ramparts  of  my  own  and  other  denomina- 
tions ;  and  results  of  the  most  startling  and  impressive  character 
have  occurred.  To  their  surprise  and  horror,  many  have  dis- 
covered that  they  had  not  only  never  got  out  of  the  road  that 
leads  to  hell,  but  positively  they  had  been  for  years  slumbering 
on  the  very  brink  of  damnation  ! 

When  such  persons  w^ere  converted,  they  have  generally 
returned  to  their  own  churches ;  but  frequently  they  have  met 
with  such  a  cold  reception,  both  from  the  minister  and  members 
of  their  church,  that  they  have  felt  it  was  at  the  peril  of  back- 


240  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

sliding  from  God  to  remain  there.  They  soon  discovered,  also, 
that  the  kind  of  preaching  which  satisfied  them  very  well  in  their 
carnal  state  had  now  but  little  in  it  that  was  congenial  to  the  state 
of  their  new-born  souls ;  and,  with  tears,  they  have  returned,  and 
requested  to  be  admitted  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  Nor 
could  her  ministers  deny  that  privilege  to  a  member  of  another 
church,  which  they  would  desire  might  be  extended  to  any  of 
their  own  members,  who  should,  from  religious  scruples,  leave 
the  Methodists,  and  offer  themselves  to  another  denomination. 

As  the  door  of  Methodism  is  open  for  any  of  her  communi- 
cants to  leave  her  pale,  so,  in  their  opinion,  that  door  should  not 
be  shut,  but  remain  quite  as  wide  open,  to  receive  members  of 
other  churches,  who  believe  in  her  doctrines,  and  who  are  wil- 
ling to  be  governed  by  her  discipline. 

It  has  frequently  happened,  of  late,  that  members  of  other 
churches,  and  persons  who  merely  belong  to  certain  congrega- 
tions, have  been  brought  into  a  state  of  alarm  about  their  souls, 
by  attending  these  services.  There  have  been  instances  where 
they  have  gone  to  the  minister,  and  made  known  the  state  of 
their  minds ;  but,  instead  of  pointing  them  to  the  Lamb  of  God, 
and  explaining  the  way  of  faith,  and  rejoicing  that,  by  any 
means,  they  had  at  last  been  brought  to  a  sense  of  their  danger, 
my  manner  of  preaching  has  been  held  up  to  ridicule,  and  they 
have  been  warned  not  to  hear  me  any  more !  Again  and  again, 
before  they  have  left  that  minister's  company,  he  has  assured 
them  it  is  all  fanaticism  for  any  man  to  say  that  an  individual 
can  know  his  sins  forgiven  in  this  life.  Now,  what  must  be  the 
inference  drawn  in  the  minds  of  these  anxious  inquirers  after 
salvation  ?  What,  but,  "  My  minister  himself  has  never  been 
converted ;  surely  all  must  be  doubt  and  uncertainty  in  his  own 
mind  respecting  the  state  of  his  soul,  since  he  positively  denies 
that  any  person  can  attain  to  certainty  upon  this  subject ;  else, 
why  should  he  declare  that  unattainable  by  me,  if  he  himself 
has  Received  it,  seeing  it  is  written,  '  God  is  no  respecter  of  per- 
sons '  ? "  It  so  happens,  however,  that  when  the  Spirit  of  God 
is  probing  the  heart  of  an  awakened  sinner,  such  unscriptural 
declarations  generally  fail  to  satisfy  his  conscience.     Such  per- 


EFFECT    OF    REVIVAL    EFFORTS.  241 

sons,  notwithstanding  various  prohibitions  from  the  above  quar- 
ter, return  to  the  place  where  they  have  been  wounded,  in  hopes 
of  finding  out  the  means  of  a  cure  for  the  "  wounded  spirit."  In 
a  short  time  they  learn  the  way  of  faith,  and  after  resting  simply 
and  only  upon  the  merits  of  the  atonement,  they  are  freely  for- 
given for  Christ's  sake,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  is  sent  "  into  their 
hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father."     Gal.  4 :  6. 

And  now,  sir,  after  the  great  and  scriptural  change  of  conver- 
sion has  taken  place,  with  a  full  and  conscious  knowledge  of 
their  adoption  into  the  family  of  God,  what  do  you  suppose  are 
their  views  respecting  their  former  minister  ?  Is  it  likely  they 
would  feel  very  comfortable  to  return  and  sit  under  his  ministry, 
where  the  same  things  would  be  repeated,  no  doubt,  again  and 
again?  What  sort  of  a  reception  would  such  a  ojie  receive, 
were  he  to  call  upon  that  minister,  and  relate  what  great  things 
God  had  done  for  his  soul  ?  There  have  been  cases,  not  a  few, 
where  a  sense  of  duty  has  led  such  new  converts  to  "  go  show 
themselves  to  the  priest ;"  but  a  sense  of  duty,  quite  as  strong, 
has  compelled  them  to  withdraw  from  his  teaching. 

If  other  denominations  oppose  these  services,  and  hinder  their 
people  who  are  unconverted  from  attending  where  it  is  most 
likely  they  would  be  converted,  then  let  vigorous  exertions  be 
made  for  their  salvation  in  their  own  place  of  worship.  But  if 
they  choose  to  neglect  this  important  duty,  and  will  still  use 
their  influence  to  prejudice  their  minds,  or  interpose  their 
authority  to  prevent  them  from  hearing  the  truth,  which  might 
possibly  result  in  their  conversion,  to  God  they  are  accountable. 
And.  should  these  persons  lose  their  souls,  in  consequence  of 
such  an  interference,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  they 
will  have  to  account,  at  the  great  and  dreadful  bar  of  God,  for 
the  part  they  had  in  their  destruction. 

I  have  been  charged  with  "small  preaching."  This  is  a 
new  phrase  to  me,  but  I  suppose  it  means  my  condescending  to 
dwell  upon  those  "minute  points"  of  Christian  experience 
usually  taken  up  in  a  more  florid  and  eloquent  style.  But  have 
you  never  read  that  striking  sentiment  of  Galen,  In  medicina 
nihil  exiguum  ?  "  In  physic  nothing  is  little."  "  A  Utile  error 
21 


242  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

there,"  said  another,  "may  occasion  fearful  mischiefs;  so  a 
small  mistake  in  souls'  concernments  may  occasion  everlasting 
ruin.'.'  An  errm'  respecting  conversion  is  ruinous,  —  damnable, 
if  the  person  die  in  it.  "  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  can- 
not see  the  kingdom  of  God."  This  is  a  decision  of  tremen- 
dous import.  Now,  the  object  to  be  attained  by  faithful  preaching 
is,  to  tear  away  the  veil,  so  that  the  deluded  conscience  may  be 
enabled  to  look  the  deception  fully  in  the  face.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, that  kind  of  preaching  which  you  call  "  eloquent,"  that  is 
adapted  to  accomplish  this. 

As  to  the  charge  that  revival  preaching  "  has  a  tendency,  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten,  only  to  disquiet  and  torment  sincere 
minds,"  it  requires  better  proof  than  that  which  often  accom- 
panies a  mere  assertion.  That  a  person  maybe  sincere  in  error y 
I  freely  admit;  but  I  cannot  allow  this  to  be  a  state  of  safety. 
It  may  be  nothing  more  than  a  treacherous  calm  before  a  disas- 
trous storm.  "  The  word  hypocrisy,"  says  a  writer,  "  is  origi- 
nally borrowed  from  the  stage,  and  it  signifies  the  acting  of  a 
part ;  and  we  have  heard  of  a  stage-player  who  acted  a  part  so 
long  that  he  believed  himself  to  be  the  very  person  he  acted. 
And  so  I  take  it  to  be  no  extraordinary  thing  for  the  religious 
hypocrite  to  be  given  up  to  the  same  delusion, — to  believe  his  own 
lie ;  and  having  put  on  religion  first  for  a  formality,  to  believe  at 
length  that  that  formality  is  religion."  Is  it,  then,  my  dear  sir,  a 
matter  of  small  importance  to  endeavor  to  undeceive  such  self- 
deceivers?  If  you  refer  to  such  characters  in  your  charge,  I 
must,  indeed,  plead  guilty.  The  direct  tendency  of  my  "  small 
preaching"  is  to  disquiet  such  persons;  and  the  sharp  crack  of 
small  fire-arms  may  be  attended  with  more  serious  consequences 
than  the  loud  report  of  cannon  in  the  "far-away  distance," 
especially  when  nothing  more  is  contemplated  than  the  "elo- 
quence "  of  the  flash  and  the  roar. 

If  3^ou  can  point  to  "many  who  are  sick"  of  my  preaching, 
"and  who  have  been  thrown  into  unnecessary  distress  by  it," 
and  some  within  your  own  "  family  circle,"  I  could  conduct  you 
to  many  who  have  been  lately  cured  of  their  sickness  by  the 
instrumentality  you  affect  to  despise,  and  who  would  not  now 


EFFECT    OF    REVIVAL    EFFORTS.  243 

for  all  the  world  have  avoided  the  knowledge  of  their  sickness, 
which  has  been  succeeded  by  a  consciousness  of  a  perfect  cure. 
The  medicine,  therefore,  that  has  made  them  sick,  may,  after  all, 
have  been  best  suited  to  the  state  of  their  diseased  souls.  "  But 
it  fares,"  as  one  has  somewhere  said,  "  with  faithful  ministers, 
as  with  honest  and  able  physicians,  that  are  many  times  ill 
thought  of  by  the  sick  man,  and  foolish  friends,  when  they  put 
him  to  pain  and  trouble.  They  charge  him  with  cruelty,  in 
delighting  to  torment  the  poor  man  unnecessarily,  and,  it  may 
be,  think  of  discharging  him,  and  getting  a  physician  that  will 
deal  more  gently  with  him ;  whereas,  indeed,  he  is  the  sick 
man's  best  friend,  and  many  times,  if  he  should  not  pain  him, 
he  should  kill  him." 

Perhaps  the  best  way  to  combat  your  "serious  objections"  is 
to  place  them  at  once  in  battle  array. 

"  These  revival  operations  have  a  direct  tendency  to  unsettle 
the  members  of  other  churches,  and  to  render  them  dissatisfied 
with  their  own  pastors."  Perhaps  so  ;  and  would  not  any  good 
pasture-field,  near  to  a  neighboring  flock,  starving,  through  the 
negligence  of  the  shepherd,  upon  a  bare  and  barren  heath,  have 
this  tendency?  But  would  any  man  in  his  senses  present  as  a 
reason  why  that  good  shepherd  should  be  indifferent  about  a 
luxuriant  pasturage  for  his  own  flock,  lest  otherwise  he  might 
possibly  unsettle  the  arrangements  of  his  neighbors?  Rather 
should  he  not  turn  his  attention  to  the  slothful  shepherd,  and 
urge  the  necessity  of  bettering  the  condition  of  his  flock,  as  the 
only  means  of  making  them  contented  with  their  own  pasturage  ? 
It  is  a  silly  sheep  that  would  again  and  again  exchange  a  good 
pasture  for  a  worse.  I  was  reading,  the  other  day,  of  a  minis- 
ter who  once  preached  the  Gospel  successfully  in  a  certain  part 
of  Yorkshire,  England ;  but  he  was  the  cause  of  great  vexation 
to  the  minister  of  a  neighboring  parish,  who  could  not  restrain 
his  church  from  "running  after"  the  faithful  preacher.  At 
length,  he  made  the  complaint  to  the  minister  himself,  and 
received  this  reply :  "  Feed  them  better,  and  they  will  not 
stray." 

"I  have  heard,"  you  proceed,  "  that  since  your  arrival  in  Ire- 


244  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

land,  many,  in  consequence  of  your  movements,  have  withdrawn 
from  their  respective  churches,  and  have  joined  the  Methodists." 
A  few  have  done  so ;  but  the  majority  of  those  who  have  been 
converted  to  God,  during  the  revivals  to  which  you  refer,  were 
sent  back  to  the  churches  to  which  they  belonged,  and  in  a 
safer  and  happier  state  of  mind  than  when  they  first  visited  the 
Methodist  chapels.  "  When  Jesus  Christ  healed  the  afflicted, 
his  constant  advice  was,  'Go  show  thyself  unto  the  priest.'"  1 
reply,  not  always.  "Why  not  send  them  back  to  their  own 
ministers,  if  they  have  received  good  ?  Why  not  let  those  who 
have  labored  so  long  for  their  conversion,  as  they  who  must  give 
an  account,  hear  from  their  own  lips  what  God  has  done  for 
them  ?  Why  not  send  such  converts  back  to  their  own  churches, 
and  let  them  declare  to  their  fellow-Christians  what  they  have 
received?"  I  can  assure  you,  dear  sir,  we  have  frequently 
attended  to  this  very  thing ;  indeed,  it  is  our  general  rule.  That 
there  have  been  cases  in  which  we  have  been  compelled  to  take 
a  difTerent  course,  I  freely  admit.  The  following  sentiment,  of 
a  particular  friend  of  mine,  I  consider  a  good  apolog)?- :  "  It 
will  be  conceded  that  circumstances  must,  in  every  case,  deter- 
mine as  to  the  propriety  of  this.  In  some  instances,  it  would  be 
compelling  the  defenceless  lamb  to  approach  a  roaring  lion  ;  while 
in  others,  it  would  resemble  the  sending  of  a  new-born  infant 
to  a  mere  unparental  anatomist,  whose  only  solicitude  would  be 
for  the  gust  of  its  dissection."  1  Kings  3  :  26,  27 ;  Deut.  27  : 
18;  1  Thes.  2:  7,8. 

"  During  your  proceedings,  congregations  have  been  deserted 
by  a  large  number  of  regular  hearers,  and  I  learn  they  have 
never  returned."  Beware,  lest  you  color  too  highly.  Where 
there  has  been  anything  of  the  kind,  the  ministers  connected 
with  such  congregations  have  had  none  to  blame  but  themselves. 
They  may  thank  their  own  conduct,  and  their  injudicious  rail- 
ing against  the  revival,  for  such  humiliating  results.  People 
will,  in  such  cases,  judge  for  themselves ;  and  when  they  hear 
men  reviling  what  they  consider  a  real  work  of  God,  and  giv- 
ing credit  to  reports  which  they  know  to  be  utterly  false,  it  is 
not  likely  they  will  sit  patiently  to  hear  it ;  especially,  when  it 


EFFECT    OF    REVIVAL    EFFORTS.  245 

is  known  that  their  minister  has  not  been  at  one  of  those  meet- 
ings, in  order  to  hear  and  judge  for  himself. 

"  I  have,  myself,  heard  several  of  these  religious  emigrants 
declare  they  had  no  religion  previous  to  their  going  among  the 
Methodists."  And  how  do  you  know  they  did  not  speak  the 
truth  ?  If  truth,  it  is  not  wrong  in  them  to  acknowledge  the 
fact.  If  so,  had  they  no  cause  for  thanksgiving  to  God  ? 
"  And  that  they  felt  it  to  be  their  duty  to  remain  among  the 
people,  who  had  been  the  means  of  what  they  term  their  *  cow- 
version.'"  .But,  are  you  sure  they  were  wrong,  I  will  not  say  in 
the  expression,  but  in  their  determination  to  remain  where  they 
had  received  so  much  good?  "Not  a  few  of  them  have  impru- 
dently insinuated,  in  the  hearing  of  some  of  my  friends,  that 
their  former  pastor  had  never  been  converted."  Perhaps  this 
was  wrong, —  at  least,  injudicious ;  but,  are  you  quite  sure  it  was 
not,  in  some  instances,  a  mournful  truth  ?  "  I  am  sorry,  indeed, 
to  admit  that  some  of  our  clergymen  do  acknowledge  that  they 
are  not  aware  of  any  other  regeneration,  in  their  own  experience, 
than  what  they  are  confident  did  take  place  when  they  were 
baptized  in  infancy.  But  what  of  that?  Even  a  blind  man 
may  hold  a  candle  to  enlighten  others,  though  he  himself 
may  walk  in  the  dark."  Yes !  but  let  him  have  a  light,  and 
not  a  candlestick  without  one,  or  a  dark  lantern  ;  else  he  and 
those  he  would  guide  may,  eventually,  "  fall  into  the  ditch " 
(that  is,  into  hell)  together.  Matt.  15:  14.  "The  Sun  of 
Righteousness  may  shine,  through  the  meanest  window,  upon 
the  heart  of  a  hearer,  equally  well  as  through  one  of  the  cleanest 
and  purest  material."  Ay!  but  let  him  be  a  real  window,  not 
an  imitation ;  not  the  mere  semblance  of  a  converted  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  not  mere  brick-work,  and  plaster,  and  paint  (to 
carry  out  your  figure),  to  avoid  the  tax,  and  yet  keep  up  appear- 
ances !  From  such  ministerial  windows,  good  Lord  deliver  us, 
and  all  our  friends !  Allow  me  to  say,  that  just  such  a  window 
is  every  unconverted  minister.  If  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 
should  shine  through  such  a.  man,  upon  the  hearts  of  his  hearers, 
it  would  be  a  greater  miracle  than  were  the  natural  sun  to  send 
21# 


246  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

his  beams  through  those  tax-avoiding  imitations  which  amuse 
one  in  every  street. 

You  say  further,  "  A  leaden  pipe  may  convey  the  '  water  of 
life '  to  the  souls  of  the  people,  quite  as  well  as  a  golden  one." 
Yes,  but  let  it  be  a  pipe,  and  not  a  mere  mass  of  lead.  If  a 
pipe,  let  it  be  connected  with  the  fountain ;  else  it  may  as  well 
be  no  pipe  at  all !  Do  you  understand  me  ?  A  sheet  of  lead 
may  be  converted  into  a  pipe,  and  so  may  a  minister ;  but  let  him 
he  converted  I  "A  man  may  see  himself  in  a  plain  glass  as  well 
as  in  one  with  a  gilt  frame."  Just  so,  and  I  have  §een  my  like- 
ness quite  as  well  in  one  that  had  no  frame  at  all.  But  let  it  be 
glass,  and  let  it  be  a  clean  and  pure  mirror ;  else  it  will  show  no 
likeness  at  all,  or,  at  most,  a  false  and  incorrect  one.  The  soul 
of  a  regenerated  and  sanctified  minister  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is 
like  his  sermons,  —  a  transparent  mirror  of  eternal  truth.  I 
dare  no^  enlarge  upon  your  figure,  lest  my  letter  would  extend 
beyond  your  patience,  and  the  time  I  have  at  my  command. 

I  remember  reading  the  following  sentiment,  which  I  very 
much  admired  at  the  time,  and  which,  I  think,  applies  to  what 
you  consider  an  imperfect  ministry :  "  A  pearl  may  be  showed 
forth  by  a  weak  hand,  as  well  as  by  the  arm  of  a  giant."  True ; 
but  that  hand  should  be  governed  by  a  discerning  and  well- 
informed  judgment ;  else  it  might  display  these  gems  in  a  very 
improper  light,  or  present  worthless  pebbles,  instead  of  pearls. 

Beware,  my  dear  sir,  how  you  encourage  men  of  whose  con- 
version you  stand  in  doubt.  "  It  is  a  doleful  thing,"  said  an  old 
divine,  "  to  fall  into  hell  from  under  the  pulpit ;  but,  ah !  how 
dreadful  to  drop  thither  out  of  it !  "  It  is  awfully  possible  for 
ministers  to  coast  the  land  of  promise,  like  the  unbelieving  spies ; 
and,  like  them,  have  no  inheritance  therein  throughout  eternity  ! 
He  who  has  taken  upon  himself  the  office  of  preaching  the 
Gospel,  through  sordid  and  impure  motives,  has  not  the  chance 
for  salvation  which  other  men  enjoy.  He  may  be,  at  one  and 
the  same  time,  an  incu7nbent  and  a  cumherer.  A  speculator  in 
preaching  he  may  be,  and  starve  the  church  of  God ;  but  throw 
off  the  letter  s,  as  a  quaint  man  said,  and  you  have  his  true 
character,  —  a  peculator.     He  may  be  capable,  by  his  learning 


EFFECT    OF    REVIVAL    EFFORTS.  247 

and  talents,  of  stringing  together  a  number  of  clever  predictions ; 
but,  in  the  "judgment  of  God,"  the  man  may  have  no  other 
design  than  the  accomplishment  of  his  own  favorite  predations 
upon  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  at  the  imminent  peril  of 
his  soul's  damnation,  that  an  unconverted  man  casts  a  covetous 
eye  towards  the  gown  and  surplice  of  a  dying  minister,  who  has 
been  faithful  to  his  God ;  or,  that  he  clothes  himself  therein, 
either  for  ease,  honor,  or  to  earn  with  worldly  credit  a  piece  of 
bread.  You  have  read  how  jEneas,  though  he  had  purposed  to 
spare  the  life  of  Turnus,  yet,  when  he  espied  the  girdle  of  Pallas 
about  him,  changed  his  mind,  and  turned  the  point  of  his 
sword  to  his  heart. 

It  would,  therefore,  appear,  from  your  own  letter,  that  some 
churches  in  the  nineteenth  century  are  yet  cursed  with  what 
was  complained  of  so  earnestly  in  the  seventeenth  century : 
"  They  by  whom  the  streams  of  heavenly  doctrine  flow  to  us  are 
of  such  superabundant  charity,  that  they  desire  to  empty  them- 
selves before  they  are  half  full ;  nay,  many,  before  they  have 
any  drop  of  saving  knowledge  and  divine  learning,  are  most 
ready  to  deliver  that  which  they  never  received,  and  teach  what 
they  never  learned."  Have  you  never  read  of  that  Bithynean, 
whom  Lactantius  seized  for  taking  upon  him  to  cure  dim  and 
dark  eyes,  when  he  himself  was  stark  blind  ? 


CHAPTER  VI. 

EEVIVALS    AND    THE   TERRORS    OF    GOD. 

An  opponent  of  revivals  has  said,  "  I  consider  the  state  of 
these  new  converts  in  no  other  light  than  that  of  a  state  of 

But  they  are  really  happy;  and  surely  you  will  allow  this 
feelinof  to  be  inconsistent  with  the  idea  we  attach  to  that  little 
English  word. 

"  Their  state  is  that  of  high  excitement ;  a  reaction  must  take 
place,  when  it  is  likely  they  will  fall  into  the  opposite  extreme." 

Perhaps  not. 

"  They  are  merely  frightened  into  a  religious  life." 

This  may  be  true,  and  yet  it  is  possible  they  are  converted ; 
and  that  which  was  occasioned  by  "  a  fright "  may  last  to  the 
end  of  their  life.  But  is  it  not  very  remarkable,  that  they  all, 
every  one  of  them,  thank  God  they  ever  heard  the  doctrine  and 
preaching  which  "frightened"  them  out  of  their  sins  "into  a 
religious  life  "  ?  Did  not  St.  Paul  declare,  that,  knowing  the 
"  terrors  of  the  Lord,"  he  "  persuaded  men  "  ?  Should  you,  or 
any  servant  of  God,  be  displeased,  if  thousands  of  these  sinners, 
who  encompass  us  on  every  side,  many  of  them  very  vile,  were 
scared  out  of  their  sins,  —  "  frightened"  away  from  the  service  of 
the  devil,  into  obedience  to  God  ?  Does  it  matter  how  a  sinner 
is  brought  to  repentance,  if  it  only  be  genuine  ?  I  freely  admit, 
the  sinner  can  only  be  justified  in  one  way^  —  through  faith  in 
the  merits  of  Christ's  death ;  but  I  will  not  allow  he  can  be 
awakened  to  a  concern  for  his  soul  in  one  loay  only.  Facts  are 
against  such  a  position.  You  may,  it  is  true,  be  among  those 
who  discard  facts,  and  wish  to  reason  with  them ;  but  it  is  nei- 
ther philosophical  nor  scriptural.    "  The  man  who  writes,  speaks, 


REVIVALS  AND  THK  TKURORS  OF  GOD.         249 

or  meditates,"  says  Lord  Bacon,  "without  being  well  stocked 
with  facts  as  landmarks  to  the  understanding,  is  like  a  mariner 
who  sails  along  a  treacherous  coast  without  a  pilot,  or  one  who 
adventures  in  the  wide  ocean  without  the  rudder  or  compass." 
Weigh  well  that  beautiful  passage  in  the  epistle  of  St.  Paul  to 
the  Corinthians.  Lest  you  should  be  indisposed  to  turn  to  it,  1 
shall  quote  it  for  you  :  "  Now,  there  are  diversities  of  gifts,  but 
the  same  spirit.  And  there  are  differences  of  administrations, 
but  the  same  Lord.  And  there  are  diversities  of  operations,  but 
it  is  the  same  God  which  worketh  all  in  all.  But  the  manifest- 
ation of  the  spirit  is  given  to  every  man  to  profit  withal."  1 
Cor.  12 :  4 — 7.  This  is  a  striking  and  singularly  expressive 
piece  of  composition,  and  allows  great  latitude  in  the  operations 
of  the  Godhead,  in  bringing  about  the  salvation  of  man.  1 
glory  in  this,  that  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  assisted  by  tlie  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  the  revealed  instrumentality  from  heaven 
for  the  conversion  of  sinners  ;  but  this  does  not  exclude  the  Lord 
from  awakening  men  to  a  concern  for  their  souls,  by  his  provi- 
dences, and  by  his  judgments.  That  they  are  regenerated  by 
these,  no  spiritual  man  will  assert ;  but  they  may  learn  right- 
eousness (Is.  26  :  9) ;  they  may  be  aroused,  —  "  frightened,"  if 
you  please,  —  into  an  agonizing  concern  for  their  souls  by  them. 
And  far  more  terrific  may  be  their  sensations,  under  these,  than 
if  a  living  preacher  were  thundering  "  hell  and  damnation  "  in 
their  ears  from  the  pulpit.  It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  terrify  a 
sinner  sitting  in  a  comfortable  chapel,  in  good  health,  and  with 
no  certain  prospect  of  dying  soon  ;  it  is,  indeed,  utterly  impossi- 
ble, unless  the  Spirit  of  God,  which  can  alone  reach  the  con- 
science, take  hold  of  the  man ;  then  the  thing  is  done,  indeed,  and 
effectually.  Now,  if  "  a  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  is  given  to 
EVERY  MAN  to  profit  withal ;  "  and  if  there  are  "  differences  of 
administrations,  and  diversities  of  operations ;  "  and  "  all  these 
worketh  that  one  and  the  self-same  spirit ;  "  w^ould  it  not  be 
wrong  to  limit  the  beginnings  of  these  divine  manifestations  ? 
or  to  deny  that  the  Spirit  of  God  may  use  the  instrumentality 
of  various  providences  and  judgments,  wielded  as  they  may  be 
by  the  omnipotence  of  God  ?     May  not  such  an  admimstration 


250  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

of  terror  be  subservient  to  a  preparation  for  diversity  of  gifts ; 
among  which  are  "  righteousness,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost"? 

How  can  you  be  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  the  elements  of 
terror  are  frequently  used  by  the  Almighty  for  the  conversion 
of  sinners  ,*  that  these  are  often  rendered  all-powerful, 

"  To  force  the  conscience  to  a  stand, 
And  drive  the  wanderer  back  to  God  "  ? 

I  was  present  in  the  awful  and  important  hour  when  a  most 
powerful  revival  commenced,  under  the  following  circumstances 
and  instrumentality :  In  the  town  of  Burlington,  State  of  Ver- 
mont, United  States,  we  had  a  small  Methodist  society.  It  had 
been  in  existence  several  years ;  but,  having  no  "  house  of  wor- 
ship," and  having  to  hold  their  meetings  in  school-houses,  and 
in  private  dwellings,  their  influence  with  the  community  was 
very  limited.  A  few  brethren,  assisted  by  several  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  place,  resolved  to  build  a  house  for  God.  After 
many  painful  struggles  and  sacrifices,  the  church  was  completed 
and  dedicated.  The  pastor  and  his  little  flock,  entering  into 
conversation  respecting  their  depressed  state  in  such  an  import- 
ant town,  came  to  the  conclusion,  now  that  they  had  a  church, 
that  something  should  be  done  towards  filling  it  with  regular 
hearers,  and  also  to  increase  the  number  of  converted  members. 
It  was  resolved,  accordingly,  to  hold  a  "protracted  meeting." 
The  prospects  of  a  revival  were  very  problematical  to  their  feeble 
faith.  The  pastor  secured  the  assistance  of  several  ministers, 
among  whom  was  the  writer.  Many  said,  "  What  can  these 
feeble  Methodists  do  ? "  We  felt  the  force  of  the  remark,  and 
humbled  ourselves  before  God.  We  had  preaching  every  night, 
but  could  make  no  impression  upon  hardened  sinners.  One 
night,  after  a  sermon  from  Komans  12:  1,  —  "I  beseech  you, 
therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which  is 
your  reasonable  service,"  —  and  just  as  the  congregation  was 
retiring,  and  before  we  knew  of  a  single  case  of  awakenings  and  I 
should  think  before  fifty  of  the  audience  got  out,  a  most  tre- 


Revivals  and  the  terrors  of  god.  251 

mendous  storm  of  thunder,  lightning,  and  rain,  burst  over  the 
town.  The  windows  of  the  church  were  unusually  large,  and 
they  appeared  all  in  a  blaze,  from  the  effect  of  the  lightning. 
The  mass  of  the  people  were  arrested  in  a  moment.  It  was  at 
a  season  of  the  year  when  thunder  is  very  seldom  heard  in  that 
country.  The  storm  raged  in  fury ;  and  one  of  the  preachers, 
a  plain  young  man,  began  to  exhort,  and  wielded  with  power 
that  passage  in  the  eleventh  Psalm, —  "  Upon  the  wicked  he  shall 
rain  snares^  Jire^  mid  brimstone^  and  an  horrible  tempest ;  this 
shall  be  the  portion  of  their  cup.^^  Thus,  while  God  thundered 
and  lightened  outside,  his  minister  did  the  same  within.  It  was 
a  scene  of  terror  and  awful  grandeur.  Some  began  to  tremble, 
and  weep,  and  pray.  At  length  there  was  a  movement  towards 
the  ministers,  where  they  were  standing  at  the  altar;  not  to  take 
vengeance  upon  the  fiery  exhorter,  but  to  cry  for  mercy  from  that 
God  who  was  thundering  through  the  heavens,  and  to  seek  an 
interest  in  the  prayers  of  his  people.  Still  the  storm  continued, 
with  peals  of  loudest  thunder,  which  were  reechoed  by  successive 
bursts  of  the  most  impassioned  appeals  to  the  consciences  of  ter- 
rified sinners.     Nothing  was  heard  but,  — 

"  See  the  storm  of  vengeance  gathering 
O'er  the  path  you  dare  to  tread  ; 
Hear  the  awful  thunder  rolling, 
Loud  and  louder,  o'er  your  head  !  " 

And  all  this  attended  by  the  deep  and  subdued  groans  of  sin- 
ners, slain  by  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  This  was  help  in  time 
of  need.  Victory,  from  the  Lord  of  hosts,  was  on  our  side  from 
that  hour;  and  the  victories  achieved  by  a  preached  Gospel, 
during  the  three  or  four  weeks  following,  amazed  the  whole 
town. 

"  But,"  you  will  be  ready  to  inquire,  "  did  not  many  of  these 
go  back  to  their  former  course  of  life,  after  their  fright  was 
over  ? "  A  few  did  so ;  but  a  large  majority  are  still  living  in 
the  enjoyment  of  that  grace  which  "the  terror  of  the  storm" 
drove  them  to  seek.  A  few  did,  indeed,  "  measure  back  their 
steps  to  earth  again."     But  if  this  argument  be  allowed  to  make 


252  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

ao-ainst  the  results  of  this  extraordinary  providence,  it  may  be 
wielded  equally  against  the  fruits  of  the  "  ordinary  and  sober 
services"  of  the  ordinary  ministry  of  the  Gospel.  How  many 
are  constrained  to  a  serious  course  of  life,  by  all  that  is  mild, 
enlightening,  and  softening,  in  a  "quiet  and  peaceful  delivery" 
of  the  Gospel  message,  —  are  even  converted  to  God,  —  and  yet 
afterwards  relapse  into  a  wicked  life ! 

Several  of  the  subjects  of  the  above  revival  have  since 
passed  into  the  eternal  world.  I  visited  some  of  them  on  their 
death-beds,  and  the  scenes  of  holy  triumph  I  witnessed  there 
were  sufficient  to  convince  the  most  abandoned  infidel  of  the 
truth  of  religion.  That  revival  is  yet  remembered  by  the  people 
of  Burlington  with  great  interest;  and  God  has  since  honored 
them  with  a  succession  of  revivals,  into  which  that  church  has 
entered  with,  increased  confidence.  Such  have  been  the  results 
of  these  divine  visitations,  that  Methodism  has  arisen  to  such  a 
point  of  importance  in  that  town,  as  to  enable  its  friends,  a  few 
rtionths  since,  to  entertain,  during  its  session,  the  Troy  Annual 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

I  remember  another  revival,  which  occurred  in  the  city  of 
Montreal,  Canada,  in  the  winter  of  1S35 ;  but  its  commence- 
ment showed  a  difference  of  administration  by  the  same  Spirit. 
I  had  not  the  privilege  of  being  present  during  the  hour  in  which 
was  displayed  this  manifestation  of  the  power  of  God  over  mind. 
Those  who  witnessed  it  informed  me  that  it  was  a  scene  of 
overpowering  interest.  During  more  than  one  week  they  had 
preaching  every  night.  On  the  evening  in  question,  the  dis- 
course was  more  than  usually  pointed  and  solemn.  A  death- 
like stillness  pervaded  the  large  assembly.  At  the  close  of  the 
sermon,  an  unexpected  influence  came  down  upon  the  people. 
But,  instead  of  two  or  three  persons  manifesting  a  desire  for  sal- 
vation, the  entire  congregation  seemed  to  be  moved  at  once,  like 
a  forest  bending  beneath  a  heavy  gale.  There  was  very  little 
noise;  no  shouting  or  screaming;  but  many  tears  and  sighs 
among  the  multitudes ;  and  strong  men  bowing  themselves,  in 
penitential  sorrow,  before  the  Lord  God  of  hosts,  with  earnest 
prayer;  but  evidently  restraining  the  deep  emotions  which  agi- 


REVIVALS  AND  THE  TERRORS  OF  GOD,         253 

tated  their  souls.  When  an  invitation  was  given  to  penitents, 
and  they  were  exhorted  to  come  forward  for  the  prayers  of  God's 
people,  the  aisles  were  speedily  filled,  all  crowding  toward  the 
communion-rails ;  rich  and  poor  were  seen  mingling  together. 
I  cannot  enter  into  all  the  particulars ;  but  it  was  supposed  that 
within  the  short  space  of  four  weeks  four  hundred  sinners  were 
converted  to  God.  That  city,  several  times  since,  has  been  visited 
with  revivals  of  religion.  In  the  year  1827,  there  was  a  visita- 
tion of  this  kind,  which  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  two  hun- 
dred souls;  and  again,  in  1841,  two  hundred  found  peace  with 
God.  I  had  the  delightful  privilege  of  being  present  during 
these  three  revivals.  In  all  these  outpourings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  that  noble  and  blessed  people,  with  their  ministers,  local 
preachers,  and  class  leaders,  entered  into  the  work  with  an  ardor 
that  did  them  credit,  while  it  showed  how  highly  they  estimated 
each  previous  revival. 

In  a  certain  part  of  America,  surrounded  with  woods,  a  min- 
ister of  Jesus  was  preaching  the  Gospel  to  a  listening  crowd. 
A  stranger,  on  horse-back,  proceeding  through  the  forest,  hear- 
ing the  sound  of  a  human  voice,  paused ;  and  then,  through 
curiosity,  approached  sufficiently  near  to  hear  the  truth  deliv- 
ered by  the  earnest  preacher;  but  did  not  alight.  What  he 
heard,  it  seems,  made  no  impression  upon  his  mind  at  the  time, 
and  he  continued  his  journey.  As  he  rode  along,  he  began  to 
reflect  upon  the  importance  of  the  truth  he  had  just  been  hear- 
ing. The  Spirit  of  God  accompanied  his  meditations  in  so 
forcible  a  manner  to  his  conscience,  that  he  fell  from  his  horse, 
as  one  dead.  How  long  he  lay  upon  the  ground,  he  could  not 
tell  ;,but,  upon  coming  to  his  senses,  he  perceived  that  a  surpris- 
ing change  had  taken  place  in  his  mind.  Love,  peace,  and 
sweet  communion  with  God,  had  taken  possession  of  his  heart; 
he  was  a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus.  Upon  looking  round 
for  his  horse,  it  was  gone,  and  had  carried  off  his  portmanteau, 
in  which  was  all  his  money,  etc.  Returning  upon  his  track,  he 
found  the  animal  entangled  by  the  bridle  in  a  brake,  and  all  his 
property  safe.  He  remounted,  and  proceeded  on  his  way  rejoic- 
ing.    When  he  arrived  at  a  certain  town  (a  place,  by  the  way, 


254  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

notorious  for  wickedness),  he  began  to  proclaim  what  great 
things  God  had  done  for  his  soul.  The  people  were  astounded, 
and  considered  the  man  insane,  and  were  about  to  confine  him. 
He  told  them,  with  heaven  beaming  in  his  countenance,  that  he 
had  never  been  in  the  right  exercise  of  his  reason  till  a  few 
hours  before ;  but  that  now  he  was  in  his  right  mind,  and  very 
happy  in  God ;  and  that  they  need  not  give  themselves  any 
uneasiness  about  him.  He  then  related  the  circumstances  of 
his  conversion,  and  exhorted  them  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come.  The  power  of  God  attended  his  exhortations,  and  many 
gave  heed  to  the  things  spoken  by  the  stranger ;  a  revival  began 
from  that  day,  and  a  great  number  of  people  were  the  saved  of 
the  Lord. 

The  particulars  connected  with  the  above  revival  may  serve 
as  a  further  answer  to  the  question,  "  Do  all  revivals  begin  in 
the  same  way  ?  "  Had  I  time,  I  could  bring  forward  many  other 
remarkable  revivals,  resulting  in  the  conversion  of  hundreds  of 
sinners,  yet  all  differing  in  the  "phenomena"  of  their  begin- 
nings. I  cannot,  however,  conclude,  without  referring  to  your 
"  particular  views  "  upon  such  matters.  If  you  are  for  calms  by 
sea,  I  am  for  storms.  That  you  have  also  "  seen  some  lovely 
scenes  by  river's  brink  or  sunny  dell,  in  waving  woods  and 
groves  watered  by  crystal  rills," — and  that  you,  and  many  others, 
have  felt  the  power  of  God  there,  and  rejoiced  in  the  evidences 
of  his  goodness,  amidst  these  scenes  of  tranquil  loveliness,  —  I 
wish  not  to  question ;  for  I  have  felt  the  same,  a  thousand  times, 
myself.  Nor  shall  I  dispute  that  you  have  had  your  "  intellect- 
ual feasts,"  and  some  rich  foretastes  of  heaven,  when  listening 
to  your  favorite  minister.  You  describe  sea  scenery  very  \vell ; 
with  all  its  "constant  sympathies  with  yonder  sky;  crisped 
smiles,  luxuriant  heavings,  and  sweet  whisperings ! " 

"  Hail,  splendid  picture  !  molten  print ! 
Medal  of  majesty  divine  ! 
Coinage  of  heaven's  illustrious  mint, 
Perpetual  currency  is  thine. 

"  And  why  hath  Jehovah,  in  forming  the  world, 
With  waters  divided  the  land  ? 


REVIVALS  AND  THE  TERKOKS  OF  GOD.        255 

His  rampart  of  rocks  round  a  continent  hurled, 
And  cradled  the  deep  in  his  hand  ?" 

But  why  did  you  not  add  that  other  verse  ?  — 

"  What  can  thy  angry  strength  restrain? 
Deep,  rolling,  huge,  circumfluous  form  ; 
Swinging  in  gravitation's  chain, 
Boiling  and  foaming  in  the  storm !  " 

I  doubt  whether  you  have  ever  been  out  sight  of  land,  to  say 
nothing-  of  witnessing  the  effects  of  a  storm  at  sea  on  the  minds 
of  sinners,  as  much  as  I  doubt  your  theory,  that  "  such  exhibi- 
tions of  elemental  wrath"  are  incapable  of  making  those  religious 
impressions  that  are  lasting,  and  which  "  tend  directly  to  the 
conversion  of  the  soul."  I  question  whether  you  have,  in  the 
course  of  your  life,  been  able,  from  close  observation,  to  philos- 
ophize upon  such  a  scene ;  as  I  doubt  whether,  until  very  lately, 
you  have  seen  the  "elements  of  terror,"  within  the  grasp  of 
any  minister  of  God,  wielded  as  they  should  be  for  the  awak- 
ening and  conversion  of  sinners.  But  I  can  testify,  from  actual 
observation,  that  conversions,  by  what  you  term  "  the  artillery 
of  terror,"  whether  elementary,  or  by  the  powerful  voice  of 
a  living  ministry,  have  been  as  real  and  as  lasting  as  those 
which  have  occurred  amidst  the  calm  of  nature,  or  when  the  soft, 
persuasive  arguments  of  the  Sabbath  sermon  have  won  sinners 
to  Christ ;  while  they  illustrated,  at  the  same  time,  that  fine 
couplet  of  an  elegant  poet,  — 

"Fit  words  attend  on  weighty  sense, 
And  mild  persuasion  flows  in  eloquence." 

You  have  had  your  poetic  excursion ;  now  allow  me  mine.  I 
think  it  most  prudent,  however,  to  keep  within  the  territories  of 
"m?niZe  prose."  When  the  might  of  the  tempest  is  let  loose 
upon  the  ocean,  and  its  surface  is  boiling  into  foam;  when  its 
waters  are  being  scooped  to  the  deepest  abyss,  and  the  billows 
are  heaped  to  the  clouds,  "confounding  the  deep,  perplex- 
ing the  sky;"  w^hen  the  reeling  vessel  is  tossing  to  and  fro,  or 
hanging  in  straightening  suspense  upon  the  billowy  precipice, 
and  again  descending,  like  an  arrow,  into  the  yawning  gulf; 


256  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

when  the  sails  are  rent  from  the  spars,  and  the  waves  have 
obtained  a  clear  passage  over  the  deck,  and  the  masts  are  shiv- 
ered from  the  laboring  hull,  as  if  shattered  by  a  thunderbolt  from 
heaven, — behold  the  terrified  crew  and  passengers.  "  They 
mount  up  to  the  heaven,  they  go  down  again  to  the  depths ; 
their  souls  are  melted,  because  of  trouble ;"  trouble  in  the  con- 
science, as  well  as  trouble  from  the  raging  elements.  But  the 
sense  of  discomfort  from  without  may  have  become  more  endur- 
able than  that  which  is  felt  within.  The  fiercest  uproar  of  the 
angry  storm  may  not  equal  at  this  time  the  alarming  accents 
of  an  awakened  conscience.  The  inflictions  of  that  vicegerent 
of  God  within  may  strip  and  wreck  the  soul  with  more  unfail- 
ing certainty  than  the  repeated  onsets  of  the  howling  tempest, 
which  have  left  the  ship  sailless  and  mastless.  The  impending 
death  of  the  body ;  its  descent  into  the  wide,  insatiable,  and 
unsearchable  grave  of  the  sea,  and  the  close  contact  with  the 
monsters  of  the  deep,  staring  through  the  troubled  foam  at  this 
fresh  cargo  of  humanity,  slowly  descending  to  the  profoundest 
floors  of  this  dreary  cemetery,  —  ocean's  shambles ;  where  mon- 
sters indescribable,  which  never  seek  the  upper  waters,  are  fed 
with  ample  supplies  of  human  beings,  driveh  froni  the  regions 
afar ;  —  alas !  all  this  may  not  be  so  horrible  to  the  soul,  at  such 
an  hour,  as  the  appalling  probability  of  dying  in  sin,  and  of  a 
descent  into  the  blackness  of  darkness ;  an  exchange  of  a  del- 
uge of  water  for  one  of  fire  and  pain ;  a  downward  progress 
into  the  pit  that  is  bottomless ;  a  dismal  and  immediate  fellow- 
ship with  the  monsters  of  hell,  the  vilest  beings  that  ever  walked 
our  planet,  and  a  dreadful  acquaintanceship  with  infuriated 
devils ;  a  full  knowledge  of  the  torments  of  the  damned,  from  per- 
sonal experience  ;  an  identical  conjunction  with  the  "worm  that 
never  dies ;"  and  a  sensible  immersion  into  the  "  fire  that  never 
shall  be  quenched."  In  a  word,  the  foaming  billows,  "  running 
mountains  high,"  which  encompass  them  on  every  side,  men- 
acing every  moment  their  removal  from  the  wave-washed  deck, 
may  present  no  aspect  of  terror,  compared  with  the  waves  of 
damnation,  described  by  the  eye  of  faith. 

Behold  the  horrors  of  the  wreck  !    Imagine  the  climax  of  their 


REVIVALS  AND  THE  TERRORS  OF  GOD.        257 

woes,' —  the  termination  of  the  appalling  catastrophe.  The  terrors 
of  the  storm  increase.  Deep  calleth  unto  deep.  The  waves  seem 
as  if  lifting  themselves  to  the  skies  ;  and  the  skies,  in  their  turn, 
as  if  let  down  into  the  abyss.  The  vessel  staggers  and  plunges 
from  wave  to  wave.  A  nail  starts,  a  seam  opens,  the  leak 
increases;  when  lo !  a  bleak  and  rocky  coast  is  discovered  to  lee- 
ward, from  the  foaming  brow  of  an  impetuous  billow.  Hark ! 
Hear  the  agonizing  cry,  "  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us  !  Save, 
Lord  or  we  perish  ! " 

Here,  dear  sir,  is  a  scene  of  excitement  far  beyond  anything 
you  have  witnessed  in  these  revival  meetings.  But  tell  me  if 
the  Spirit  of  God  may  not  be  there  ;  and  whether  this  scene  of 
terror  and  despair,  by  his  almighty  agency,  may  not  work  that 
"  repentance  which  is  unto  life  "  just  as  effectually  as  under  the 
searching  appeals  of  "  the  Sabbath  argument "  ?  May  not  a 
dread  of  hell,  and  sorrow  for  sin,  and  a  desire  of  forgiveness, 
and  supplications  for  mercy,  and  faith  in  the  blood  of  the  atone- 
ment, be  just  as  genuine,  though  excited  by  these  terrific  cir- 
cumstances, as  at  a  time  when  the  storm  is  hushed,  and  the 
glassy  surface  of  the  ocean  is  mirroring  its  heavenly  counter- 
part, and  the  gallant  vessel,  under  a  sweet  and  gentle  breeze, 
in  full  sail,  is  speeding  her  way  to  the  port  of  her  destination  ? 

May  not  the  promptings  of  conscience  to  "  flee  from  the  wrath 
to  come,"  the  Spirit's  influences,  and  the  intercessions  of  Christ, 
and  the  invitations  of  pardoning  love,  be  just  as  available, 
through  the  mercy  of  God,  during  such  a  season  of  peril  as  I 
have  described,  as  when  nature,  in  her  softest  loveliness,  is 
encompassing  him  who  in  the  most  quiet  seclusion  is  earnestly 
seeking  salvation. 

Take  another  instance.  Think  of  a  time  when  the  storm  is 
abroad  over  the  landscape.  Weakened  as  it  is  by  the  reign  of 
winter  ;  when  it  advances  to  the  fury  of  a  hurricane,  bearing  on 
its  wings  the  hail  or  the  snow.  The  night  has  set  in  with  the 
accumulating  storm,  and  the  family  are  housed  from  the  career- 
ing elements.  Sheltered  as  they  are  from  the  storm  that  is 
abroad,  is  it  not  natural  that  they  should  think  of  the  abodes  of 
poverty,  the  fireless  hearth,  and  scanty  covering ;  or  that  they 
22^ 


268  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

should  sigh  for  the  sailor  on  the  foaming  deep;  or  pity  the 
benighted  traveller,  whom,  in  imagination,  they  see  exposed  to 
the  relentless  fury  of  such  fearful  elements  ?  Supposing  the  storm 
to  augment,  uprooting  lofty  trees,  and  shaking  to  its  founda- 
tions the  hitherto  secure  mansion,  how  easy  it  is  to  con- 
ceive a  transfer  of  their  concern  for  others  to  a  consciousness 
of  their  own  immediate  danger ;  and  a  rapid  turning  of  their 
anxieties  for  their  personal  danger,  to  the  more  awful  peril  of 
their  unprepared  souls !  May  not  the  uproar  of  contending 
elements  awaken  fears  quite  as  exciting  as  those  called  forth 
by  the  alarming  accents  of  an  earnest  preacher?  Are  you 
certain  that  a  class  of  sensations,  arising  from  a  sudden  view 
of  the  evil  nature  of  sin,  and  the  hell  to  which  it  has  exposed 
them,  —  a  desire  besides  for  pardon  from  that  God  who  is 
now  wielding  these  tremendous  elements,  —  may  not  be  quite 
equal  to  all  you  think  may  be  felt  under  the  searching  truth  of 
God  in  the  sanctuary  ?  And  are  you  prepared  to  deny  that  the 
Spirit  of  God,  on  such  an  occasion,  may  lead  such  persons  to 
the  repentance  and  faith  which  are  essential  to  a  change  of 
heart ;  and  all  this  "  quite  as  evangelical,"  too,  as  when  a  sin- 
ner repents  and  believes  in  a  meeting  where  you  might  hear  a 
pin  fall,  or  alone,  and  surrounded  by  the  charms  of  a  summer's 
landscape  ?  Nor  are  you,  I  would  presume,  prepared  to  come 
forward,  with  argume7its  and  facts ^  to  show  that  conversions 
which  occur  under  such  alarming  circumstances  are  not  quite  as 
permanent  as  those  you  contend  for  as  occurring  in  a  more 
quiet  way.  If  not,  away  with  all  this  "  cant,"  that  these 
"  frenzied  sermons,"  and  "  appalling  exposures  of  hell,"  and 
"  terrific  appeals  to  the  passions,"  can  accomplish  "  nothing 
more  than  a  fright  and  an  excitement^  which  terminate  with  the 
occasion,  without  resulting  in  regeneration,  or  any  permanent 
good  to  the  subjects  of  it !  " 

Is  it  not  a  fact,  that,  during  the  awful  visitation  of  the  cholera, 
great  multitudes  were  "  frightened  "  into  a  reformation  which  was 
lasting,  who,  but  for  a  fear  of  the  consequences  of  that  dreadful 
pestilenfce,  would,  it  is  most  likely,  have  continued  in  their  sins  ? 
I  could  name  cities  where  congregations  and  churches  received 


REVIVALS  AND  THE  TERRORS  OF  GOD.         259 

large  accessions,  and  where  proofs  the  most  convincing  were 
given  that  the  cholera  had  produced  an  excitement  which 
resuhed  in  revivals  of  religion.  The  cholera  was  a  revivalist, 
then !  It  preached  some  tremendous  truths,  which  the  Holy- 
Ghost  condescended  to  apply.  But  it  was  an  administration  of 
terror ;  there  were  appeals  to  the  passions,  as  well  as  the  judg- 
ment. Very  many,  in  these  times  of  alarm,  both  in  English 
and  American  towns,  were  known  to  have  experienced  all  the 
softening  influences  of  real  repentance.  Their  strong  expres- 
sions of  penitential  sorrow,  fervent  prayers  for  mercy,  and  lan- 
guage indicative  of  confident  peace  with  God,  showed  how  gen- 
uine was  the  work  wrought  in  their  hearts  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  happy  deaths  of  a  numerous  circle  of  these  persons  since 
have  confirmed  the  truth  of  these  sentiments.  I  cannot,  there- 
fore, agree  with  you,  that  conversions  arising  "  from  circum- 
stances of  great  alarm"  are  "transitory."  It  is  my  opinion  — 
and  I  have  had  a  good  opportunity  of  judging  —  that  the  largest 
proportion  of  persons  brought  to  God,  during  a  great  revival  such 
as  is  now  going  on  in  this  town,  hold  on  their  way  to  heaven  more 
firmly  than  those  converted  in  the  ordinary  means.  Persons  who 
are  converted  in  a  revival  usually,  I  think,  set  out  with  greater 
earnestness  and  decision  than  those  "  brought  in"  in  a  more  quiet 
and  less  exciting  way.  "  I  have  observed,"  says  Mr.  Wesley, 
"  that  few  who  set  out  in  good  earnest  go  back ;  but  of  those 
who  set  out  coldly,  one  out  of  five  generally  does." 

Allow  me,  in  conclusion,  to  say,  that  when  you  give  place  to 
these  doubtful  inquiries,  you  seem  to  lose  sight  of  the  great 
designs  of  God,  in  placing  within  a  minister's  reach  those  "ele- 
ments of  terror"  revealed  in  the  Bible  ;  as,  also,  such  element- 
ary visitations  and  alarming  judgments  as  those  to  which  I  have 
referred,  and  which  he  himself  wields  to  alarm  a  world  of  wick- 
edness. I  need  not  turn  your  attention  to  all  the  declarations 
of  wrath  he  has  uttered  against  the  sinner ;  but  consider  that 
great  decision  from  the  volume  of  inspiration,  —  "When  thy 
judgments  are  in  the  earth,  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  will 
learn  righteousness."  Forget  not  that  it  is  "  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
God"  that   gives  significancy  to  those  "elements  of   terror," 


260  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

whether  it  be  the  mighty  tempest,  or  "  the  pestilence  that  walk- 
eth  in  darkness,  or  the  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noonday,"  or 
the  appeals  of  "  tribulation  and  anguish,  indignation  and  wrath, 
upon  every  soul  that  doeth  evil,"  made  by  the  alarming  preacher 
to  the  sinners  of  his  congregation.  And  shall  the  spirit  of 
God  work  in  vain  ?  or  shall  he  suffer  tamely  his  wonderful  work 
in  the  sinner's  heart  to  be  neutralized  and  counteracted  ?  He 
will  not,  indeed,  touch  free  agency ;  but  he  is  very  far  from 
being  unconcerned  as  to  the  permanency  of  the  important  work 
begun  in  the  souls  of  the  newly-converted. 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

REVIVAL   EXCITEIVIENTS. 

In  reading  the  Memoirs  of  the  late  Mr.  William  Dawson,  I 
met  with  the  following  anecdote  : 

Mr.  Dawson,  it  seems,  was  one  day  accosted  by  an  individual 
who  said  he  had  been  present  at  a  certain  meeting ;  that  he  liked 
the  preaching  very  well  indeed,  but  was  much  dissatisfied  with 
the  prayer-meeting,  adding,  that  he  usually  lost  all  the  good  he 
had  received  during  the  sermon,  by  remaining  in  these  noisy 
meetings.  Mr.  D.  replied,  that  he  should  have  united  with  the 
people  of  God  in.  the  prayer-meeting,  if  he  desired  to  retain  or 
obtain  good.  "  O  !"  said  the  gentleman,  "  I  went  into  the  gal- 
lery, where  I  leaned  over  the  front,  and  saw  the  whole.  But  I 
could  get  no  good  ;  I  lost,  indeed,  all  the  benefit  I  had  received 
during  the  sermon." 

"  It  is  easy  to  a:count  for  that,"  rejoined  Mr.  Dawson. 

"  How  so  ? "  inquired  the  other. 

"  You  mounted  to  the  top  of  the  house,  and,  on  looking  down 
your  neighbor's  chimney  to  see  what  kind  of  a  fire  he  kept,  you 
got  your  eyes  filled  with  smoke.  Had  you  entered  by  the  door, 
gone  into  the  room,  and  mingled  with  the  family  around  the 
household  hearth,  you  would  have  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  the 
fire,  as  well  as  they.  Sir,  you  have  got  the  smoke  in  your 
eyes ! " 

A  few  years  ago,  and  at  a  time  when  the  church  of  God  in 
the  United  States  was  engaged  in  a  mighty  struggle  for  the  sal- 
vation of  sinners,  —  when  she  was  grappling  with  the  powers  of 
darkness,  and  with  unconverted  thousands,  with  tremendous 
energy  and  amazing  success, —  an  ingenious  dialogue  came  out 


262  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

from  the  press,  which  had  a  very  good  effect  upon  the  public 
mind. 

I  am  sorry  I  did  not  preserve  the  article.  I,  have  forgotten 
the  precise  language,  but  I  can  give  you  the  substance  of  it. 
Some  of  the  sentiments  uttered  by  one  of  the  characters  are, 
indeed,  most  foolish  and  irrational ;  nor  would  I  insert  them, 
but  for  the  necessity  of  meeting  those  unreasonable  objections 
proposed  by  the  opponents  of  revivals.  It  was  a  supposed  dia- 
logue between  the  Prophet  Elijah  and  an  old  CarmeUte.  The 
scene  is  laid  upon  the  top  of  Mount  Carmel.  All  around,  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach,  is  desolation.  During  three  entire  years 
and  six  months  there  had  not  been  a  single  shower  of  rain.  The 
streams  and  fountains  are  all  exhausted  and  dried  up.  The 
hills  and  mountains,  and  vales  and  woodlands,  trees,  fields,  and 
gardens,  are  withered,  —  scorched  as  by  the  sweeping  fire  on  a 
western  prairie. 

"  The  earth  was  made  of  iron,  — heaven  of  brass  ; 
And  fissures  in  the  soil  were  gaping  wide 
For  the  fresh  rain  that  came  not  ;   herbs  and  grass 
Fell  sear  and  dead,  and  strewn  on  every  side 
Were  yellow  leaves  ;  and  buds  and  blossoms  died ; 
And  spring  to  autumn  turned,  gray  without  fruit ; 
And  night  and  day  went  round  as  wont,  yet  brought 
No  cheering  interchange  for  hopeless  thought. 
No  dews  the  eve,  no  mist  the  morning  gave, 
To  slake  the  craving  of  the  fiery  drought. 
Mildew,  and  death,  and  desolation  wave 
O'er  parched  hill  and  dale,  like  cypress  o'er  the  grave  ; 
The  wells  and  mountain  springs  were  dry  and  dank, 
And  Canaan's  face  became  a  chaos  and  a  blank!  " 

The  herds  have  perished  from  the  field,  and  multitudes  of  the 
inhabitants  have  slept  their  last  sleep  ;  the  land  is  full  of  orphans 
and  widows.  This  is  a  very  bleak  picture.  Behold  yonder 
mountain  !  Near  to  its  summit  is  a  man  ;  but  he  is  prostrated 
upon  the  earth,  pleading  with  God  in  behalf  of  the  desolated 
country.  It  is  Elijah  the  prophet.  And,  lo  !  beside  him  stands 
an  old,  hard-hearted,  croaking  Carmelite.  Long  has  it  been  since 
a  drop  of  rain  has  fallen  from  heaven  upon  his  shrivelled  body; 


REVIVAL    EXCITEMENTS.  263 

SO  long,  in  fact,  that  he  has  arrived  at  the  same  contentment  (if 
not  malignant  joy)  which  many  sinners  in  Zion  feel  when  they 
behold  the  moral  landscape  around  them,  unwatered  for  years 
by  the  reviving  showers  of  grace  from  the  throne  of  God ;  when 
the  population  of  sinners  is  just  in  the  same  wretched  condition, 
spiritually,  as  the  material  landscape  was  around  Mount  Car- 
mel. 

The  Carmelite  stands  in  a  very  anxious  attitude,  as  if  depre- 
cating the  power  of  the  prophet's  prayer.  (Indeed,  the  prophet 
had  already  told  King  Ahab,  in  the  old  man's  hearing, "  Get  thee 
up,  eat  and  drink ;  for  there  is  a  sound  of  abundance  of  rain." 
1  Kings  18:  41.)  At  a  distance  is  the  prophet's  servant, 
ascending  a  higher  part  of  the  mountain,  in  order  to  get  a  view 
of  the  sea;  for  his  master  had  said,  "  Go  up,  now,  and  look 
toward  the  sea."/  Elijah  has  cast  himself  again  upon  the  ground, 
with  "  his  face  between  his  knees,"  —  a  painful  and  humiliating 
posture ;  but  perhaps  not  more  so  than  the  position  chosen  by 
many  a  minister  of  God,  when  pleading  with  God  for  an  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  patience  of  the  old  Carmelite 
is  quite  exhausted.  "  So  much  praying  and  groaning  "  is  to  him 
intolerable ;  and  he  begins  to  mingle  his  gruff  sounds  with  the 
sighs  and  supplications  of  the  prophet. 

Carmelite.  Prophet  of  God,  I  am  afraid  you  are  praying  for 
rain.  Now,  I  am  a  friend  to  rain  ;  but  I  want  it  to  come  in  the 
right  way,  as  it  ought  to  come.  I  have,  indeed,  been  thinking 
seriously  that  the  prophet  should  beware  of  what  he  is  doing, 
seeing  he  cannot  secure  us  against  consequences. 

Elijah.  Your  fears  have  taken  a  strange  direction.  Have 
you  no  apprehensions  for  the  entire  destruction  of  your  country  ? 
Lift  up  your  eyes,  and  behold  the  desolation !  Tell  me  if  you 
can  behold  a  green  thing  within  the  whole  range  of  your  vision? 
[Awfully  illustrative  of  the  state  of  thousands  of  these  Leeds 
sinners.]  Is  not  the  canopy  of  death  spread  over  the  whole  face 
of  creation  ?  If  God  do  not  interfere,  how  terrible  must  be  the 
consequences ! 

[The  prophet  is  much  affected,  and  addresses  himself  to  God 
in  earnest  and  prevailing  prayer.] 


264  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Car.  I  wish  you  to  understand  that  I  am  decidedly  in  favor 
of  rain  [a  revival],  and  that  I  have  no  desire  to  see  these  scenes 
of  wretchedness  protracted,  nor  that  my  country  or  my  fellow- 
men  should  remain  any  longer  in  jeopardy ;  but  I  want  such 
rain  as  our  forefathers  had.  I  wish  it  to  come  exactly  in  the 
same  way,  too,  and  that  it  should  produce  the  same  delightful 
effects.  Long  experience  has  taught  me  to  deplore  the  evils  of 
excessive  rain  [revivals].  For  this  cause,  I  have  been  griev- 
ously persecuted  by  the  ardent  and  enthusiastic  creatures  around 
me,  as  if  I  were  an  enemy  to  rain  [revivals] ;  just  because  I 
have  endeavored  to  show  them  the  evils  which  proceed  from 
certain  kinds  of  rain. 

Elijah.  Deploring  the  evils  of  rain !  You  have  been 
strangely  employed,  these  three  years  and  six  months. 

[The  servant  returns,  and  tells  the  prophet,  "  There  is  noth- 
ing." "  Go  again,"  was  the  reply,  "  seven  times ; "  and  the 
prophet  falls  down  again  before  God  in  prayer.] 

Car.  I  saw  how  anxious  the  people  were  for  rain.  I  was 
met  with  the  disgusting  and  worn-out  term  [revival]  at  every 
corner.  I  have  often  told  them  that  genuine  rain  would  do ; 
but  it  must  come  in  the  natural  and  ordinary  way,  and  not  by 
these  forced  measures,  as  if  the  noisy  uproar  of  thousands  could 
shake  the  heavens,  and  bring  down  rain,  whether  or  no.  So,  to 
keep  them  quiet,  I  set  myself  about  showing  them  what  evils 
rains  have  done  to  Israel  during  years  gone  by.  I  have  urged 
them  again  and  again  to  leave  the  world  to  the  government  of 
God,  and  to  mind  their  own  business  ;  that  he  would  do  what 
was  right ;  and  that,  if  the  nation  would  keep  meddling  in  this 
way  with  the  plans  of  the  Almighty,  he  might  send  them  rain 
the  most  ruinous  ;  that,  instead  of  prayer  and  all  this  stir,  they 
should  wait  quietly  till  God  sent  it.  And  now,  for  these  pru- 
dential remarks,  the  propriety  of  which  none  have  successfully 
called  in  question,  they  have  set  me  down  as  an  enemy  to  rain 
[revivals]  altogether ;  and  have  turned  the  affair  into  a  plea  for 
downright  persecution. 

Elijah.     Strange  infatuation ! 

[The  servant  returns.     The  Carmelite,  finding  the  prophet 


REVIVAL    EXCITEMENTS.  265 

too  intent  upon  prevailing  with  God  for  rain  to  attend  to  his 
senseless  speculations,  begins  to  address  the  servant,  —  conduct 
not  unlike  that  of  some  during  vigorous  efforts  for  a  revival.  If 
the  minister  says,  "  I  am  doing  a  great  work,  so  that  I  cannot 
come  down ;  why  should  the  work  cease,  while  I  leave  it  and 
come  down  to  you  ? "  —  Neh.  6:3,  —  they  will  then  endeavor  to 
weaken  the  faith,  or  to  perplex  and  annoy  the  zealous  leaders 
and  members  of  his  church.] 

Car.  Servant,  your  master  is  praying  for  rain,  and  you  are 
looking  for  the  evidences  of  its  coming ;  but  we  want  such  rains 
[revivals]  as  they  had  in  the  days  of  Abraham,  Moses,  and  Sam- 
uel [Wesley,  Whitefield,  &c.].  If  he  would  only  pray  for  such 
rain,  I  could  agree  with  him. 

Servant.  If  rain  come  from  heaven  at  all,  must  it  not  be  of 
the  very  same  kind  as  that  which  fell  in  the  days  of  these  ser- 
vants of  God  ?  Beware  how  you  eulogize  the  dead  prophets, 
while  you  persecute  the  living  one. 

Car.  I  can  show,  in  a  dozen  instances,  where  modem  rains 
[revivals]  differ  from  those  in  former  times,  in  their  effects  and 
in  their  consequences. 

Serv.  Stay ;  let  me  go  again,  and  see  whether  my  master 
prevails  with  God. 

Car.  Stay,  hear  me  :  I.  We  want  smiling  heavens  with  the 
rain,  to  inspire  men's  hearts  with  joy;,  but  should  your  master 
succeed,  black  clouds  will  overspread  the  whole  sky.  The 
gloom  will  be  dreadful ;  nobody,  in  fact,  will  have  a  heart  to  do 
anything,  for  looking  after  this  rain. 

II.  It  absorbs  all  attention ;  nothing,  from  morning  till  night, 
is  talked  of  but  rain,  rain.  I  have  not  been  able  to  have  a 
pleasant  conversation  with  my  neighbors  upon  Mount  Carmel, 
for  months;  nothing  but  rain  and  this  Elijah  are  talked  about. 
It  is  a  complete  mania.  I  am  disgusted.  Young  and  old  are 
clamoring.  The  very  children,  who  never  saw  a  drop  fall  from 
heaven,  are  prattling  about  rain.  What  enthusiasm  I  I  wish  I 
could  change  my  residence  ;  and  I  would  do  so  but  for  these 
reasons  :  1.  I  suppose  the  mania  is  general  all  over  the  country. 
2.  My  presence  here  may  have  some  influence  in  checking  this 
23 


266  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

wild  enthusiasm ;  and,  8.  I  want  to  philosophize  upon  this  rain 
and  its  results,  when  they  appear. 

III.  I  have  some  particular  friends  who  think  exactly  as  I  do 
upon  these  subjects.  All  the  little  sociable  parties,  which  for- 
merly made  society  agreeable,  are  broken  up.  .  I  have  no  wish 
the  country  should  be  destroyed,  for  want  of  good  rain ;  but  I 
want  the  people  to  act  like  rational  beings.  Nor  do  I  wish  to 
see  society  split  and  rent  by  these  commotions.  But  I  see  what 
the  end  is  to  be ;  all  cannot  see  alike,  nor  be  equally  enthusias- 
tic about  rain  [a  revival].  This  mania  —  I  can  call  it  nothing 
else  —  is  bringing  about  divisions,  very  fast.  It  has  begun  its 
operations  in  families ;  wives  and  husbands,  parents  and  chil- 
dren, masters  and  servants,  are  divided  upon  this  matter.  These 
hot-headed  fanatics  will  rend  the  nation  in  twain,  as  they  are 
splitting  the  society  in  our  neighborhood  into  pieces.  Such 
fault-finding,  and  charging  people  with  sins  they  have  never 
committed,  —  just  as  if  the  heavens  could  not  have  a  dry  sea- 
son without  its  being  occasioned  by  the  sins  of  the  people !  Your 
master,  it  seems,  has  converted  King  Ahab  himself  to  be  as  wild 
about  rain  as  any  of  them.  He  is  preparing  to  return  to  his 
capital,  post-haste,  expecting  abundance  of  rain,  when  there  is 
not  a  cloud  to  be  seen,  and  the  heavens  are  blue  and  bright ;, — 
no  more  signs  of  rain,  except  an  increased  uproar  among  the 
people,  than  there  was  this  time  last  year.  It  is  a  sad  thing 
when  great  men  lend  their  influence  to  such  fanaticism.  Ahab 
was  once  a  wise  king ;  but  Jezebel,  however,  still  retains  her 
good  sense.  And  behold  the  prophet !  He  is  about  to  kill  him- 
self, in  his  efforts  for  rain  [a  revival]  ;  as  if  he  could  bring  it 
before  the  appointed  season ! 

IV.  Again  :  In  seasons  of  extraordinary  rain,  many  clouds  dis- 
charge themselves  at  once.  Rivers  are  suddenly  swollen,  leave 
their  channel,  and  overflow  the  hitherto  pleasant  vale  ;  indeed, 
they  often  sweep  away  flocks  and  herds  and  grain.  It  is  even 
dangerous  to  live  in  the  vicinity  of  Carmel  at  such  times, 
owing  to  the  higher  lands  settling,  and  sliding  down  upon  the 
rich  pastures  beneath. 


REVIVAL    EXCITEMENTS.  267 

Serv.  I  think  you  have  had  little  trouble  in  that  way,  during 
the  last  few  years. 

Car.  I  am  speaking  now  of  what  we  may  expect,  if  the  prophet 
obtain  his  request.  But  I  must  proceed.  Gusts  of  wind  attend 
modern  rains ;  indeed,  such  tornadoes,  that  houses  are  unroofed, 
and  trees  overturned.  Frequently,  the  lightning  and  thunder 
are  terrific.  Many  a  tall  and  handsome  tree  I  have  seen  shat- 
tered to  pieces.  But  this  is  not  all.  If  tenements  have  not  been 
thrown  down  or  unroofed,  they  have  been  so  rent  and  torn  as  to 
become  leaky,  greatly  to  the  injury  of  the  health  and  comfort 
of  the  inhabitants.  Indeed,  I  have  known  people  who  have  been 
killed  outright.  Families  have  been  broken  up.  1  cannot  tell 
you  one  half  of  the  evils  arising  from  late  rains  [revivals],  with 
lightning  and  thunder.  I  have  said  nothing  about  the  noise. 
At  such  times  one  can  scarcely  think,  much  less  hear  any  one 
speak.     Rain,  lightning,  and  thunder,  are  almost  synonymous. 

Serv.     O,  no.     You  are  getting  too  much  excited,  I  fear. 

Car.  Remember,  I  have  lived  much  longer  than  you ;  you 
are  but  a  young  man  yet.  Now,  it  is  a  fact,  that  when  we  have 
no  rain  [revivals],  we  have  none  of  these  strange  noises  and 
disturbances.  I  have  known  the  very  ground  tremble  beneath 
its  peals  and  extravagances.  We  generally  know  the  evil  is 
approaching,  when  this  phenomenon  occurs.  Perhaps  lightning 
and  thunder  [powerful  preaching  and  mighty  praying]  bring 
down  rain ;  I  cannot  tell. 

[The  servant  goes  to  the  mountain  peak,  and  returns  ;  Elijah 
continues  in  fervent  prayer.] 

Car.  These  rains  come  so  often  out  of  season  —  at  the  very 
time  we  do  not  want  them.  During  summer,  rain  will  fall  upon 
the  ripe  fruit  and  mown  grass,  and  upon  the  hay  when  nicely 
dried,  and  upon  the  grain,  as  well  as  upon  the  pasture-field.  If 
it  would  rain  where  it  was  most  wanted,  I  should  not  have  a  word 
to  say;  but  why  give  those  places  a  superabundance  which 
have  enough  already  ? 

Serv.  Pause,  Carmelite  ;  I  must  hasten  to  my  post  of  observ- 
ation.    My  master,  you  see,  is  deeply  affected. 

Car.     I  shall  ascend  with  you ;  I  cannot  endure  all  this  pray- 


268  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

ing ;  I  wish  he  were  of  my  mind,  and  he  would  take  the  mat- 
ter more  easily. 

Serv.  I  question  whether  you  are  much  at  ease  in  your  own 
mind,  any  more  than  the  prophet. 

Car.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  I  have  seen  so  many 
evils  arising  from  these  things,  that  I  cannot  look  upon  the 
prophet  without  concern.  Think,  for  instance,  of  the  effects  of 
rain  [revivals]  upon  the  poor.  I  have  known  many  laboring 
men  kept  within  doors  by  rain,  when  their  families  have  been 
almost  starving.  Others,  not  a  few,  have  spent  their  evenings  in 
doing  nothing  but  talking  about  rain.  Ay!  and  when  they 
should  have  been  asleep,  too  ;  then  they  would  have  been  better 
prepared  to  work  for  their  masters :  yes,  and  pay  their  lawful 
debts.  Even  you,  yourself,  would  be  much  better  employed,  if 
you  were  about  other  work,  than  thus  running  yourself  out  of 
breath,  up  and  down  this  mountain,  looking  for  rain;  and  you 
might,  in  my  opinion,  be  doing  more  good  in  the  world. 

Serv.  I  am  aware  hard  climbing  does  not  suit  you.  Allow 
me,  however,  to  say,  I  am  in  the  employ  of  a  good  master,  who 
pays  me  liberal  wages ;  nor  will  he  ask  you  or  your  party  to 
assist  him  in  defraying  expenses. 

Car.  These  rains  [revivals]  nourish  noxious  weeds,  thorns, 
thistles,  and  brambles.     Behold,  how  clean  the  fields  are  now  I 

Serv.  Yes,  but  the  wheat  also  has  been  all  parched  up  and 
destroyed ! 

Car.  I  am  not  speaking  of  wheat  now ;  but,  as  you  are  on 
that  subject,  I  will  tell  you  what  I  have  seen  in  relation  to 
wheat. 

Serv.  But  can  wheat  grow,  if  totally  deprived  of  min  ?  Has 
wheat  no  dependence  upon  moisture  ?  Can  the  moisture  remain 
in  the  fields,  unless  recruited  by  rain  ?  Is  there  anything  of  the 
kind  in  the  weedless  and  grainless  fields  which  now  draw  your 
admiration  ? 

Car.  I  cannot  answer  all  your  objections  ;  but  in  rainy  sea- 
sons [times  of  revival]  I  have  noticed  that  there  is  chaff — much 
chaff.  Now,  if  it  be  good  rain,  why  not  make  the  wheat  grow 
without   chaff.      But   the   chaff —worthless  ingredient!  —  has 


REVIVAL    EXCITEMENTS.  269 

always,  since  the  beginning  of  my  observations  upon  such  mat- 
ters, been  in  close  connection  with  wheat.  Have  you  ever 
found  a  grain  of  wheat  [a  new  convert]  produced  by  these  mod- 
ern rains  [revivals]  without  chaff  along  with  it  ?  I  have  stood 
by  many  a  threshing-floor,  and  could  not  but  be  annoyed  and 
surprised  at  the  overseer  and  his  threshers,  to  see  their  eyes 
sparkling  with  joy,  because  of  the  immense  bulk  of  what  they 
called  "  a  heap  of  wheat,"  when  I  knew  (and  they  could  not 
but  have  known)  that  the  greater  part  of  it  was  chaff. 

Serv.  Certainly,  they  were  better  off  in  those  days  than  we 
are  now  ;  for,  surely,  it  was  better  to  have  a  little  wheat,  amidst 
much  chaff,  than  to  have  none  at  all !  Besides,  the  chaff  could 
be  easily  separated  from  the  wheat,  and  was  so,  doubtless,  in 
due  time. 

Car.  Ay !  That  is  what  I  want  to  impress  upon  you.  It 
was  on  this  account  I  pitied  them,  because  I  knew  there  was  no 
foundation  for  such  self-congratulations.  And  when  I  warned 
them  of  the  deception,  and  foretold  that  the  heap  would  be 
reduced  more  than  one-half  at  the  toinnowing  and  sifting  time 
[reaction  after  the  revival],  some  paid  no  attention,  others  set 
me  down  as  envious  at  the  successes  of  others,  and  a  few  whis- 
pered that  I  was  jealous  of  my  own  credit  as  a  farmer ;  and 
some  insinuated  that  I  was  an  enemy  to  good  wheat  altogether, 
which  was  most  unreasonable.  However,  I  was  patient,  and  the 
sifting  season  did  come.  Because  you  know  there  is  always, 
after  these  modern  rains,  a  winnowing  time ;  when  the  chaff 
and  the  wheat  are  both  held  up  in  one  sieve,  and  then  to  see 
how  dissimilar  their  fall,  —  the  wheat  reaching  the  floor,  and 
but  \evy  little  of  it,  while  the  chaff  was  carried  quite  away. 
Ay !  that  was  the  time  for  me  !  Then  I  could  talk  with  my 
enemies  in  the  gate,  and  prove  my  discernment  and  prudence  by 
facts  the  most  undeniable. 

Serv.  It  is  well  if  you  did  not  rejoice  at  the  humiliation  of 
your  industrious  neighbors.  Tell  me,  had  you  any  desire  that 
there  should  have  been  less  chaff  in  the  day  of  trial  ? 

Car.  There  may  be  pride  in  the  activity  of  a  farmer,  as  in 
any  other  employment ;  and  I  like  to  see  proud,  positive,  and 
23^ 


270  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

self-willed  people  humbled.  Facts,  too,  are  worth  knowing ;  and 
I  always  state  them  to  those  who  seem  anxious  for  extraordi- 
nary rain. 

Serv.  It  is  well,  however,  to  remind  you,  how  little  business 
you  have  had  of  that  kind  during  the  last  three  years.  The 
threshing-floors  of  Israel  have,  of  late,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
afforded  little  chance  for  such  speculations.  There  is  not  a 
farmer  at  present  in  Israel,  I  venture  to  say,  who  would  not  be 
willing  to  have  a  "  heap  "  upon  his  floor,  although  the  third  part 
of  it  were  chaff. 

Car.  My  remarks,  of  course,  apply  to  past  years,  before  we 
were  visited  with  this  clear,  invigorating  weather,  which  you 
denominate  a  dangerous  drought.  Besides,  you  cannot  deny 
that  the  farmers  have  been  far  more  industrious  in  ploughing 
and  sowing  than  when  we  had  such  torrents  of  rain ;  and  I  may 
add,  they  have  had  access  of  late  to  very  low  lands  for  agricul- 
tural purposes. 

Serv.  They  have  sowed  much,  but  gathered  little  ;  there  has 
been  no  parade  of  harvest  labors  of  late  years,  nor,  indeed,  any 
period  distinguished  as  the  harvest. 

Car.  Modern  rains  [revivals]  are  transient  in  their  influence ; 
in  a  few  days  or  weeks,  the  ground  is  as  dry  as  ever. 

Serv.  In  that  case,  another  shower  is  needed.  [Here  the 
servant  is  on  the  tip-toe  of  expectation,  looking  very  earnestly 
toward  the  sea.] 

Car.  You  have  been  speaking  of  the  necessity  of  another 
shower ;  but  there  you  fall  into  a  great  mistake.  Had  we  rain  of 
the  right  kind,  the  benefits  would  not  pass  away  so  soon.  The 
health  of  the  citizens,  too,  would  be  improved.  There  an:e  many 
widows,  of  late,  in  Israel. 

Serv.  But  nineteen  out  of  twenty  have  become  widows  since 
rain  has  ceased  to  fall. 

Car.  If  men  could  only  be  persuaded  to  dwell  upon  the  top 
of  Gilboa,  where  there  is  neither  dew  nor  rain  [no  revivals  of 
religion],  what  health  and  vigor  would  they  enjoy;  and  be  free, 
also,  from  all  this  din  and  persecution  about  rain  !     But 


REVIVAL    EXCITKMENTS.  271 

[Here  the  servant  interrupts  him,  by  pointing  to  a  little  cloud 
rising  out  of  the  sea]. 

*'  Saw  ye  not  the  cloud  arise, 
Little  as  a  human  hand  ? 
Now  it  spreads  along  the  skies, 
Hangs  o'er  all  the  thirsty  land. 
Lo,  the  promise  of  a  shower, 
Drops  already  from  above, 
But  the  Lord  will  shortly  pour 
All  the  spirit  of  his  love  !  " 

Car.  Horrible  !  We  shall  have  nothing,  by  and  by,  but  con- 
fusion worse  confounded. 

Serv.  It  is  just  as  the  prophet  told  Ahab ;  there  is  a  sound 
of  abundance  of  rain. 

Elijah  and  his  servant  hurry  down  from  the  mount ;  and  the* 
old  Carmelite  hastes  to  his  cave,  to  brood  over  the  evils  of  rain 
[revivals],  and  the  delusions  of  the  people. 

The  winds  are  howling,  the  lightnings  are  playing,  and  the 
thunders  roaring  through  the  vault  of  heaven.  The  rain  is 
descending  far  and  wide  over  the  thirsty  landscape.  The  pulse 
of  life  throbs  once  more  through  the  arteries  and  veins  of  reviving 
nature.  The  drooping  plants  lift  up  their  heads;  the  flowers 
bloom  as  if  by  miracle,  and  spread  their  fragrance  all  around; 
while  the  withered  trees  freshen  into  green,  and  wave  royally 
their  leafy  branches  on  high. 

The  Carmelite  continues  in  his  cave,  while  thousands  are 
rejoicing  in  the  abounding  mercies  of  a  benevolent  God. 

Weeks  and  months  have  passed  away ;  the  landscape  looks 
like  a  new  creation,  and  one  smile  of  universal  joy  plays  upon 
the  renovated  cheek  of  nature.  But  none  of  these  things  move 
the  old  Carmelite.  He  is  out,  the  first  fair  day,  plodding  along, 
with  his  head  down,  yet  on  the  look-out  (or  facts.  Nor  does  he 
notice  the  innocent  flowers  [new  converts]  blooming  around  his 
footsteps,  nor  the  green  foliage  of  the  trees,  nor  the  revived 
appearance  of  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  [effects  of  the  revival  upon 
the  church],  nor  the  verdant  meadows  and  pasture-fields,  where 
creatures  are  sporting  themselves,  exuberant  in  all  the  happi- 


272  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

ness  of  virhich  their  natures  are  capable ;  nor  the  boundless  fields 
of  grain,  wide  v^^aving  over  hill  and  dale,  rich  in  the  cheerful 
promise  of  an  abundant  harvest.  The  cheerful  voices  of  many- 
people  ring  out  on  the  air  in  songs  of  thanksgiving  to  the  God  of 
Israel ;  but  he  hurries  on,  with  a  mind  filled  and  running  over 
with  philosophical  musings.  But  whither  is  he  going  ?  From  place 
to  place,  to  see  whether  the  streams  have  kept  their  proper  chan- 
nels; and  if  the  low  lands  have  not  been  injured ;  what  houses 
have  been  unroofed,  or  have  become  leaky ;  whether  any  persons 
have  been  terrified  out  of  their  senses  by  the  thunder  and  light- 
ning [alarming  preaching] ;  or,  if  any  quarrels  or  dissensions 
have  arisen  in  families  because  of  differences  of  opinion  s^out 
the  rain  [revival].  The  state  of  general  health  is  an  object  of 
interest,  of  course;  in  a  word,  he  is  out  collecting  facts  ^  that  by 
them  he  might  cool  down  the  enthusiasm  of  the  population  for 
rain  [revivals]. 

Finding  himself  very  unsuccessful  with  the  people,  although 
he  found  quite  enough  to  satisfy  his  own  mind  on  the  subject, 
he  returned  to  his  cave,  to  await  with  some  impatience  the  results 
of  the  harvest. 

Time,  that  brings  everything  else  in  its  season,  brought  this 
event  also ;  so,  staff  in  hand,  he  paid  a  visit  to  all  the  farms 
[churches  and  classes],  that  he  might  view  the  heaps  on  the 
threshing-floors,  and  thus  be  enabled  to  give  some  friendly  hints 
respecting  chaff;  and  to  lift  his  prophetic  voice  as  to  the  results 
of  winnowing  and  sifting.  And  no  man  ever  looked  so  con- 
tented nor  so  wise,  as  when  he  saw  the  chaff  fly  in  all  directions ; 
although  he  repeatedly  declared  he  was  sorry  to  see  the  disap- 
pointment of  his  neighbors  [the  reaction  after  the  revival]. 

He  revisited  them  all,  to  sympathize  with  them  in  their  mis- 
fortunes :  but,  to  his  surprise,  he  found  the  farmers  all  very- 
happy  ;  it  was  a  time  of  general  rejoicing,  in  fact,  each  con- 
gratulating the  other,  that  their  heaps  of  clean,  pure  wheat  had 
not  been  so  large  for  very  many  years  ;  that  during  the  last  three 
years  of  drought,  instead  of  having  heaps  of  increase,  to  compare 
with  those  of  the  harvest  just  celebrated,  they  had  had  nothing 
of  the  kind,  by  which  to  institute  anything  like  a  comparison. 


REVIVAL    EXCITEMENTS.  273 

This  circumstance  rather  perplexed  the  old  Carmelite ;  but 
prejudice  is  an  ingenious  feeling.  He  suggested  that,  by  the 
time  the  next  harvest  came  round,  there  would  be  little  of  this 
kind  of  wheat  left.  But  the  agriculturists  assured  him  that  the 
wheat  was  of  the  very  first  quality ;  that  some,  it  was  likely, 
would  be  sent  off  to  supply  deficiencies  on  other  farms  [churches 
and  classes  at  a  distance],  and  some  would  be  shipped  off  to 
other  countries  ;  but  that  it  was  not  their  intention,  by  the  help 
of  God,  to  let  three  years  pass,  as  during  the  last  drought,  with- 
out a  harvest.  They  informed  him  of  their  intention  to  plough 
and  sow  again,  and  that  already  they  had  begun  to  make  larger 
preparation  than  ever  for  another  harvest ;  that  they  had  better 
wheat,  to  begin  with, —  more  experience,  also ;  and  God  was  now 
propitious;  he  would,  they  were  sure,  give  them  the  early  and 
latter  rain  [a  succession  of  revivals],  and  the  appointed  weeks  of 
harvest.  The  old  Carmelite,  convinced  in  himself  that  they  were 
incurable,  left  them  in  their  glory,  and  returned  to  his  cave, 
mourning  over  the  delusions,  stubborn  prejudices,  and  miseries 
of  mankind. 

And  now,  dear  sir,  you  cannot  fail  to  see  yourself  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  old  Carmelite.  I  have  incorporated  in  the  above 
dialogue  some  of  the  most  prominent  objections  against  reviv- 
als ;  and  I  wish  you  could  as  clearly  see  their  worthlessness, 
and  as  heartily  disapprove  of  them,  as  you  do  those  of  the  old 
Carmelite  against  rain. 

There  are  a  few  other  objections,  which  I  might,  perhaps,  have 
noticed,  had  it  been  evident  you  had  studied  that  famous  verse 
of  Horace : 

"  With  touch  so  soft,  so  tender  of  his  friend, 
He  handled  every  fault  which  he  would  mend  : 
That  the  cahn  patient,  with  a  smile,  endures 
The  playful  hand,  which  pleases  while  it  cures." 

There  is  one  which  relates  to  myself,  not  unworthy  of  notice, 
"  Such,  frequent  preaching  must  necessarily  become  superficial, 
and  vapid  in  the  extreme." 

The  best  reply  I  have  at  hand  is  the  following,  once  given 


274  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

by  an  aged  divine  :  "  '  Better  one  excellent  sermon,'  says  an 
objector,  '  than  many  mean  and  ordinary.  One  border  of  true 
pearl  is  worth  more  than  a  thousand  glass  or  sophisticate  stones ; 
one  picture  drawn  with  true  and  rich  colors  is  more  valuable 
than  many  slubbered  over  with  slight  wash  colors.'  I  grant  it ; 
and,  it  were  to  be  wished,  that  they  who  preach  but  seldom  did 
it  always  more  accurately,  and  with  power,  that  the  defect  in 
the  number  might  be  supplied  in  the  weight  of  their  sermons ; 
but  certainly  experience  shows  the  contrary.  Water,  you 
know,  corrupts  in  the  conduit,  if  it  be  so  stopped  as  either  to  run 
not  at  all,  or  but  sparingly  ;  the  golden  spouts,  my  friend,  which 
adorn  the  temple,  and  which  run  most  frequently  and  fully, 
yield  the  sweetest  and  most  wholesome  supply  of  water ;  and, 
St.  Basil  observes  the  like  of  wells,  —  that  they  grow  better,  the 
more  water  is  drawn  out  of  them.  However,  considering  the 
dulness  of  hearing,  mean  capacity,  and  brittleness  of  memory  of 
all,  I  wish  those  that  are  of  most  eminent  gifts  to  dispense  the 
mysteries  of  salvation  were  to  preach  more  frequently  than  they 
usually  do,  with  all  due  respect  to  their  plea,  —  accurate  prepar- 
ation ;  because  Cato  spoke  truly  when  defending  himself  for 
distributing  silver  among  his  soldiers,  whereas  other  captains 
bestowed  gold  on  them,  —  '  It  is  better  that  many  should  carry 
away  silver  than  a  few  only  gold.'  " 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

OF   CONFUSION   IN   REVIVAL   PRAYER-MEETINGS. 

Do  you  remember  the  sentiment  of  a  certain  baronet  respect- 
ing the  Rev.  Geo.  Whitefield?  Said  he  to  a  friend,  "Mr.  B., 
after  all  that  has  been  said,  this  Whitefield  was  truly  a  great 
man,  — he  was  the  founder  of  a  new  religion." 

"  A  new  religion,  sir !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  B. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  baronet,  "  what  do  you  call  it  ? " 

"  Nothing,"  rejoined  the  other,  "  but  the  old  religwn  revived 
with  energy y  and  heated  as  if  the  minister  really  meant  what  he 
said." 

Please  procure  the  printed  Journal  of  the  Rev.  John  Wesley, 
and  compare  what  is  there  recorded,  as  having  occurred  under 
his  own  ministry,  with  the  revival  of  religion  now  in  progress 
in  this  town.  When  you  have  done  this,  then  inquire  of 
your  own  conscience ;  and  if  that  be  asleep,  ask  your  memory 
whether  the  stranger  from  America  has  introduced  a  "  spurious 
kind  of  Methodism  into  Hull."  Be  candid;  and  I  have  no 
fears  that  the  decision  will  be  anything  else  than — This  is 
old  Methodism  revived  with  new  energy.  Mr.  Wesley  did  not, 
it  is  true,  approve  of  all  the  scenes  which  took  place  in  some  of 
his  meetings;  neither  was  he  ^^ surprised"  that  the  tremendous 
truths  he  had  uttered  produced  effects  so  powerful ;  but  he  did 
not  absolutely  attempt  to  put  down  what  some  considered  con- 
fusion and  enthusiasm ;  he  managed  and  controlled  it,  as  did 
also  his  preachers,  so  as  to  retain  the  good,  and  avoid,  as  far  as 
possible,  the  evil.  That  letter,  written  from  Manchester,  to  Mr. 
Wesley,  by  one  of  the  preachers,  was  nothing  more  than  an  echo 
of  the  sentiments  of  Mr.  Wesley  himself.  "  Indeed,  we  have  had 
sometimes  more  noise  than  I  liked  ;  but  I  durst  not  pluck  up  the 


276  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

tares,  for  fear  of  destroying-  the  wheat.  I  have,  therefore,  thought 
it  best  to  leave  the  whole  with  God ;  thinking  it  much  better  to 
have  a  little  false  fire  mixed  with  the  true,  than  to  have  none  at 
all."  ^ 

You  say,  "  I  certainly  thought  they  were  engaged  in  a  row,  or 

fight,  in  the  band-room  of chapel,  the  other  night." 

So  did  a  father,  on  hearing  a  great  noise  as  he  approached  his 
home.  "I  thought,"  said  he,  afterwards,  "my  family  were 
fighting  and  killing  each  other ;  "  but,  on  going  in,  he  found  his 
daughters  upon  their  knees,  pleading  in  agony  for  the  salvation 
of  their  souls.  He  also  prostrated  himself  before  God,  and  joined 
them  in  prayer,  till  one  of  them  was  filled  with  peace  and  joy, 
through  believing.  Did  you  go  in  to  see  what  the  matter  was  ? 
and  when  you  discovered  the  real  cause  of  "  the  uproar,"  did 
you  sympathize  with  distressed  sinners?  did  you  fall  down 
before  God  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  pray  for  the  opening  of 
the  prison  to  those  who  were  bound?  that  those  who  were 
mourning  in  Zion  might  have  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy 
for  mourning,  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness  ? 
Isaiah  61:3.  If  you  did  not  thus  pray,  when  you  had  an 
opportunity,  —  and  if,  instead,  you  walked  away,  despising  in 
your  heart  those  who  did,  —  I  cannot  consider  you  worthy  of  the 
name  of  "  a  Methodist."  I  think  an  old  American  Quaker  had 
a  proper  and  scriptural  view  of  what  you  term  "  revival  noise." 
A  company  of  ministers  were  on  board  a  steamer,  on  their  return 
from  a  place  where  there  was  a  remarkable  revival  of  religion. 
As  they  proceeded  on  their  voyage,  the  conversation  turned  upon 
the  revival.  It  was  generally  admitted  there  was  much  real 
good  being  done,  and  that  very  many  sinners  were  converted, 
and  a  large  number  were  returning  to  God  as  true  penitents ; 
but  most  of  the  party  reprobated  the  noise  and  confusion  which 
attended  it.  After  a  few  had  expressed  their  disapprobation,  in 
terms  sufficiently  strong,  they  appealed  to  the  Quaker,  not 
doubting  that  he  would  coincide  with  their  sentiments ;  but,  to 
their  surprise,  he  told  them  he  did  not  wonder  at  all  at  the 
noise,  allowing  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was,  indeed,  hewing  down 

*  See  Methodist  Masrazine  for  1783. 


OF    CONFUSION    IN    REVIVAL    PRAYER-MEETINGS.  277 

sinners,  and  preparing  them  to  take  their  places  in  the  spiritual 
temple.  "Now,"  he  continued,  "you  may  remember,  when 
Solomon  began  to  build  a  temple  to  the  Lord,  timber  had  to  be 
hewn  in  the  forest,  and  stone  quarried  out  and  chiseled,  accord- 
ing to  the  form  required.  Was  there  no  noise  during  this  pro- 
cess, think  ye  ?  Ay !  and  it  must  have  been  tremendous,  when 
the  lofty  pines  and  other  trees  were  prostrated  to  the  ground  by 
the  repeated  blows  of  the  axe ;  —  and  in  such  great  numbers,  too, 
in  all  parts  of  the  forest.  What  a  wonderful  noise,  too,  when 
they  were  getting  out  the  stone,  and  when  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands of  workmen  were  imparting  to  them  their  proper  form  and 
polish  by  hammer  and  chisel !  All  this,  you  are  aware,  my 
friends,  was  only  the  work  of  preparation  ;  but,  when  they  came 
to  erect  the  temple,  there  was  no  noise,  —  no,  not  even  the 
sound  of  a  hammer;  —  all  was  quietness  and  silence  then." 

Now,  my  dear  sir,  had  you  been  present  at  the  select  meeting 
for  the  new  converts,  a  few  weeks  since,  when  all  those  were 
collected  together  who  had  been  converted  several  weeks  pre- 
viously, and  over  whom  there  had  been  so  much  noise  at  the 
time  of  their  conversion,  you  would  have  enjoyed  a  fine  illustra- 
tion of  the  old  Friend's  sentiments.  There  was,  indeed,  "quiet- 
ness and  silence  ;  "  and  it  presented  a  wide  contrast  to  that  storm 
of  human  voices,  and  loud  outcries  of  agonized  sinners,  of  which 
you  so  bitterly  complain. 

It  is  said  there  is  a  great  deal  of  apparent  confusion  in  South 
America,  in  those  places  where  the  negroes  are  engaged  in  scoop- 
ing up  sand  from  the  bottom  of  rivers ;  which  a  stranger,  not 
understanding,  would  be  ready  to  pronounce  "a  worthless 
employment,  and  a  scene  of  positive  confusion."  Let  him, 
however,  be  informed  that  there  is  much  gold  mixed  with  these 
sands ;  and,  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  let  him  visit  the  same 
place,  and  be  shown  numerous  little  heaps  of  gold,  which  have 
been  separated  from  this  worthless  sand,  by  the  laborious  efTorts 
of  these  hard-working  and  industrious  men,  —  and  you  will  not 
question  that  a  great  change  must  take  place  in  his  opinions. 
We  had,  I  am  glad  to  say,  very  many  "  heaps  of  pure  gold,"  on 
the  night  referred  to  ;  as  many,  in  fact,  as  encompassed  the  altar 
24 


278  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

again  and  again,  many  times.  But  you  were  not  there,  I  sup- 
pose ;  therefore,  not  having  seen  the  gold,  —  only  the  dark  and 
meaningless  sand,  —  "  much  noise  and  disorder,  proceeding  from 
a  confused  mass  of  excited  people,"  —  your  opinions  remain 
unchanged. 

When  I  was  in  the  city  of  Cork,  a  few  months  since,  we  had 
a  very  gracious  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Many  sinners 
were  deeply  awakened,  and  were  found  upon  their  knees  plead- 
ing for  mercy  at  every  meeting.  At  such  times,  when  the 
penitential  sorrow  of  some  was  turned  into  joy,  and  they  were 
praising  God,  with  joyful  voices,  for  deliverance  from  conscious 
guilt,  others  were  roaring  aloud  by  reason  of  the  disquietness 
of  their  heart.  Psalm  38  :  8.  Consequently,  there  was  a  great 
noise ;  and  some,  like  yourself,  were  much  offended.  One  of 
these  gentlemen  came,  on  a  certain  day,  to  an  aged  class-leader, 
who,  in  consequence  of  his  infirmities,  was  not  able  to  appear 
with  his  brethren  as  formerly  on  the  field  of  conflict.  The 
visiter,  perhaps,  interpreted  his  absence  from  the  meetings  to 
dislike,  or  want  of  confidence  in  the  movement,  and,  therefore, 
expected  that  his  own  prejudices  would  certainly  meet  with 
sympathy.  To  him,  therefore,  he  went,  and  made  his  complaint, 
concluding  with  the  remark,  "I  b'elieve  all  these  American 
preachers  like  abundance  of  noise."  The  following  was  the 
reply,  in  substance  : 

"  Suppose,  my  friend,  you  were  about  to  build  a  house,  and 
you  should  employ  me  to  quarry  stone  sufficient  for  the  intended 
edifice.  Well,  I  and  my  men  go  to  work  with  crow-bars,  pick- 
axes, wedges,  and  hammers, — all  are  employed;  but,  finding 
the  rock  very  hard,  and  scandalized  with  such  a  small  heap  of 
stone,  after  all  our  labor,  I  consult  with  my  men  whether  we 
had  not  better  adopt  some  more  effectual  measures  to  separate 
the  rock.  The  result  is,  —  and  we  are  all  agreed,  —  that  it  is 
going  to  be  a  losing  concern,  unless  I  would  permit  them  to  try 
the  effects  of  gunpowder.  To  this  I  agree,  and,  after  several 
days'  hard  boring,  we  succeed  in  getting  one  good  blast,  and 
then  another,  —  in  short,  a  succession  of  them.  At  length, 
who  should  appear  but  yourself,  in  great  agitation,  exclaiming, 


OF    CONFUSION    IN    REVIVAL    PRAYER-MEETINGS.  279 

*  James  Field  !  what  means  all  this  ?  I  insist  upon  it,  you  shall 
put  an  end  to  this  unearthly  noise ;  neither  myself  nor  family 
can  bear  it.  It  is,  in  fact,  most  outrageous.  The  whole  neigh- 
borhood is  in  a  stir.  That  I  want  stone  for  my  house,  I  admit; 
but  I  don't  want  it  at  the  expense  of  such  a  horrible  uproar.' 
Now,  what  think  ye  would  be  my  answer  ?  What,  but  this  ? 
'  You  have  employed  me,  sir,  to  quarry  out  stone  for  your  build- 
ing. You  have  no  right  to  interfere  with  me,  so  long  as  I  injure 
no  one,  nor  damage  any  person's  property,  and  while  I  procure 
you  first-rate  stone.  I  have  had,  indeed,  to  resort  to  powder,  in 
consequence  of  the  hardness  of  the  rock,  and  we  have  had  a 
shaking  time.  Behold  the  execution !  examine  the  material. 
These  ten  or  a  dozen  blasts  have  done  more  than  my  men  could 
have  accomplished,  in  their  ordinary  operations,  with  crow-bars, 
&c.,  during  six  months ;  and  we  have  only  been  a  few  days  at 
the  work.'  Now,  my  friend,  you  have  good  sense  enough  to 
apply  this  illustration  to  the  present  revival  of  pure  religion  in 
Cork.  That  there  is  a  noise,  I  shall  not  question ;  but  look  at 
the  results.  The  great  end  of  all  preaching  is  now  being 
realized ;  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  producing  its  distinct  and 
apyropriate  effects,  in  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  sinners. 
That  these  powerful  blasts  are  attended  by  a  corresponding 
noise,  is  not  to  be  doubted ;  and  it  is  equally  true,  that  not  a  few 
are  offended  and  do  grumble  exceedingly ;  but  a  tremendous 
execution  is  being  done  in  the  quarry."  The  fault-finder,  if  he 
was  not  convinced,  was  silent,  and  made  his  exit. 

I  understand  the  design  of  such  appellatives  as  ^^fanatics^ 
enthusiasts,  madmen^''  &c.  These  names  are  fastened  upon 
some  of  the  zealous  servants  of  God,  for  the  same  purpose  that 
the  skins  of  wild  beasts  were  put  upon  the  primitive  Christians 
by  their  persecutors,  that  they  might  the  more  readily  be  torn  in 
pieces  by  the  hungry  lions  in  the  arena  of  the  amphitheatre ; 
but  they  were  Christians  still,  notwithstanding  these  deforming 
skins ;  and  so  are  we,  though  he  and  his  friends  cover  us  from 
head  to  foot  with  the  hideous  imputations  oi  fanaticism,  &c. 

An  individual  once  said,  that  there  was  a  gentleman  men- 
tioned in  the  nineteenth  chapter  of  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  to  whom 


280  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

he  was  more  indebted  than  to  any  man  alive;  —  the  town-clerk 
of  Ephesus,  whose  council  was,  to  do  nothing  rashly.  It  is  also 
stated  of  the  same  person,  that  when  any  proposal  of  consequence 
was  made  to  him,  his  usual  reply  was,  "  We  will  first  advise 
with  the  town-clerk  of  Ephesus."  Hasty  sayings  and  rash 
doings  may,  perhaps,  be  followed  by  a  tedious  repentance.  To 
all  the  enemies  of  revivals  have  said,  I  oppose  the  sentiment 
contained  in  the  following  story :  William  II.,  when  standing 
upon  some  rocks  in  North  Wales,  saw  the  coast  of  Ireland,  and 
exclaimed,  "  I  will  summ^on  hither  all  the  ships  of  my  realm,  and 
with  them  make  a  bridge  to  attack  that  country."  This  threat, 
it  seems,  was  reported  to  Murchard,  Prince  of  Leinster,  who 
paused  a  moment,  and  then  inquired,  "  Did  the  king  add  to  this 
mighty  threat,  if  God  please  ? "  Upon  being  assured  the  king 
made  no  mention  of  God  in  his  speech,  he  replied,  "  rejoicing  in 
the  prognostic,"  says  the  historian,  "  Sure  that  man  puts  his 
trust  in  human,  not  in  divine  power ;  I  fear  not  his  coming.'* 
But,  some  time  after,  William  was  shot  by  a  Frenchman,  in  the 
New  Forest,  Hants. 

I  always  feel  myself  quite  safe  in  a  revival.  I  am  doing  the 
Lord's  work  with  all  my  might;  let  them  injure  me  in  that 
employment,  if  they  can  or  dare.  As  for  this  species  of  persecu- 
tion, I  do  not  value  it  a  straw.  If  our  zeal  is  but  enkindled,  it 
may  be  raised  into  a  brighter  blaze  by  these  blasts  of  contradic- 
tion. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

ADVICE   TO    AN   INQUIRER. 

You  are  really  ingenious  in  ferreting  out  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  giving  your  heart  to  God.  The  poor  heart  is  "  divided 
a7id  subdivided"  upon  many  things,  and  subjected,  too,  to  so 
many  "  anatomical  dissections,"  and  agitated  by  such  a  variety 
of  "  contraries"  that  the  owner  of  it  is  at  her  wit's  end,  not 
knowing  what  to  do.  Now  it  is  hard, —  again  it  is  deceitful ;  it 
is  willing  now, —  then  again  unwilling ;  at  one  time  upon  the 
point  of  yielding,  and  at  another  there  is  a  reserve  that  is  insur- 
mountable ;  it  must  be  subdued  first,  and  pride  cast  out,  and  a 
thousand  good  properties  infused,  before  it  is  fit  to  be  offered 
wholly  to  the  Lord.  And  so  discouragements  crowd  upon  the 
soul,  and  difficulties  tread  upon  the  heels  of  difficulties,  and 
what  will  become  of  my  friend,  for  she  is  quite  incapacitated  to 
make  the  surrender  ?  God  asks  the  whole  heart,  and  requires 
her  to  bring  it  to  him  in  true  simplicity.  But  poor  Martha  is 
careful  and  cumbered  about  many  things ;  hut  one  thing  is  need- 
ful—  to  offer  her  hard,  tossed,  troubled  heart  to  Him  who  asks 
it,  just  ?iow,  even  to  God  her  Saviour.  Lord,  help  her !  O  woman, 
why  tarriest  thou  ?  See,  thy  Lord  is  just  now  ready  to  help 
thee,  and  to  receive  thy  offering,  and  pronounce  a  blessing  upon 
thee,  although  the  heart  which  is  offered  be  only  worth  two 
mites,  ivhich  make  a  farthing.     Only  say,  as  you  offer  it, — 

"  Small  as  it  is,  't  is  all  my  store  ; 
More  shouldst  thou  have,  if  I  had  more." 

"  The  Master  is  come,  ajtd  calleth  for  thee."     Arise !     Thy 

Lord  is  just  now  ready  to  help  thee.     His  hands  are  full  of 

blessings ;  his  heart  is  full  of  love.     In  him  all  fulness  dwells ; 

enough,  surely,  for  thee,  to  fill  thy  heart  with  all  good  thino-s. 

24^ 


282  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

He  sends  the  rich  empty  away.  My  friend  is  'poor^  having 
nothing  to  pay ;  but  is  she  not  yroud  also  ?  She  is  unwilling 
to  come  as  a  poor  nothing,  pressed  down  with  poverty,  deep 
poverty  of  spirit,  and  huy  wine  and  milk,  all  the  rich  blessings 
of  the  Gospel,  without  money  and  without  price  ;  only  that  she 
just  offers  her  heart,  which  she  has  pronounced  to  be  "  worth- 
less,'' and  which,  on  that  account,  she  is  ashamed  to  offer. 

Still,  she  cannot  but  offer  it ;  "  deep  necessity "  impels ;  but 
then  she  desires  to  offer  it  in  the  best  manner,  and  in  as  good  a 
state  as  possible,  so  that  it  may  be  somewhat  worthy  of  her 
Lord's  acceptance.  And  so  she  is  cumbered  with  much  serving; 
and  so  the  heart  is  not  offered  at  all,  or  in  an  improper  spirit. 
She  forgets  that  Jesus  is  to  do  all.  Her  work  is  simply  to 
present  the  gift,  the  heart ;  his  work  is  to  accept,  to  qualify,  and 
to  bless.  The  man  who  brought  his  son  to  Christ  did  not  first 
endeavor  of  himself  to  cast  out  the  devil,  but  he  brought  him 
as  he  was.  Satan  raged,  threw  the  lad  down  and  tare  him ; 
nevertheless  Jesus  rebuked  the  unclean  spirit,  healed  the  child, 
and  delivered  him  to  his  father.  Luke  9:  42.  My  friend 
wants  to  do  the  Lord's  work,  and  her  own  also.  Her  Lord  is, 
therefore,  displeased;  perhaps  chides,  and,  it  may  be,  chastises 
her.  At  any  rate,  he  suffers  her  to  be  corrected  by  her  own 
"  evil  reasonings  ;"  he  does  not  bless  her,  and  so  she  is  unhappy. 
May  my  God  bless  Martha  !  Make  her  a  little  child.  When- 
turning  over  my  papers,  the  other  day,  I  lighted  upon  a  few 
verses  which  I  extracted,  several  years  ago,  from  the  pages  of  an 
old  poet.  They  are  now  lying  on  my  table.  Surely,  I  thought, 
when  taking  my  pen  to  indite  this  letter,  that  ingenious  pro- 
duction may  assist  my  friend  to  obey  the  injunction  of  her 
Lord :  "  Give  me  thine  heart.''  Prov.  23  :  26.  I  shall  send  it 
her.  There  are  a  simplicity  and  sincerity  in  the  sentiments, 
which  I  really  wish  she  would  endeavor  to  imitate. 

*''my  son,  give  me  thine  heart.' 
"Give  thee  mine  heart?    Lord,  so  I  would, 
And  there 's  great  reason  that  I  should, 

If  it  were  worth  the  having  ; 
Yet  sure  thou  wilt  esteem  that  good, 
Which  thou  hast  purchased  with  thy  blood, 

And  thought  it  worth  the  craving. 


ADVICE    TO    AN    INQUIRER.  283 

"  Give  thee  mine  heart  ?    Lord,  so  I  will, 
If  thou  wilt  first  impart  the  skill 

Of  bringing  it  to  thee  : 
But  should  I  trust  myself  to  give 
Mine  heart,  as  sure  as*I  do  live, 

I  should  deceived  be. 

•'  Should  I  withhold  my  heart  from  thee, 
The  fountain  of  felicity, 

Before  whose  presence  is 
Fulness  of  joy,  at  whose  right  hana 
All  pleasures  in  perfection  stand, 

And  everlasting  bliss  ? 

"  Lord,  had  I  hearts  a  million, 
And  myriads  in  every  one, 

Of  choicest  loves  and  fears. 
They  were  too  little  to  bestow 
On  thee,  to  whom  I  all  things  owe  ; 
*  I  should  be  in  arrears. 

"  Yet,  since  my  heart 's  the  most  I  have, 
And  that  which  thou  dost  chiefly  crave, 

Thou  shalt  not  of  it  miss  : 
Although  I  cannot  give  it  so 
As  I  should  do,  I  '11  oflfer  it,  though  : 

Lord,  take  it,  —  here  it  is  !  " 

In  answer  to  your  ^^ queries"  I  would  just  say:  —  There  are 
three  offices  which  belong  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  which  are 
exercised  most  frequently  among  men, —  to  convince,  to  reprove, 
and  to  comfort.  The  first  two  are  performed  chiefly  in  impeni- 
tent  sinners,  and  tardy  impenitents,  —  He  reproves  the  world  of 
sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment.  John  16:  S — 11.  But 
even  in  a  certain  class  of  believers  these  offices  are  exerted  with 
considerable  energy.  He  convinces  of  indwelling  sin,  reproves 
for  its  continuance,  as  well  as  for  tardiness  in  approaching  that 
fmintain  which  icas  opened  for  sin  and  for  unjcleanness.  There 
is  a  third  office  to  be  accounted  for,  —  to  comfort.  To  many 
he  comes  with  some  of  his  consolations,  but  only  "  as  a  way- 
faring man  who  tarrieth  but  for  a  night ;  "  he  is  soon  sinned 
against,  and  grieved  away.  Besides,  in  my  opinion,  it  is  not  the 
desire  of  the  Spirit  to  render  that  heart  too  comfortable  and 


284  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

happy,  in  which  sin  is  allowed  to  exist.  It  is  in  the  holy  heart 
only  where  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  abiding  Comforter.  John 
14:  16,  17 — 26.  The  Holy  Spirit  enters  the  temple  of  an 
unholy  heart,  I  have  freque»tly  thought,  as  Jesus  Christ  did 
into  the  temple  at  Jerusalem ;  he  enters  with  "  a  scourge  of 
small  cords,"  overturns  the  tables  of  the  money-changers,  and 
begins  to  drii^e  out  the  buyers  and  sellers. 

A  few  months  ago,  when  I  landed  in  Dublin,  I  had  some  gold, 
went  to  the  bank  of  Ireland,  and  had  it  changed  into  current 
coin.  There  was  one  piece  I  retained,  —  an  American  half- 
eagle  in  gold,  given  me  by  my  aunt  for  a  "pocket-piece,"  before 

1  sailed.  I  had  also  bills  upon  a  bank  in  London,  by  order 
from  Apaerica,  payable  sixty  days  after  sight.  Intending  soon 
to  leave  Dublin  for  England,  and  apprehending  some  difficulty 
unless  I  visited  London,  I  concluded  to  retain  them  till  then. 
Being  detained  longer  in  Dublin  than  I  expected,  my  ready 
funds  were  exhausted  to  one  penny;  I  was  too  busy  in  the 
work  of  God  to  make  inquiries,  but  was  several  times  in  morti- 
fying straits  for  the  want  of  a  little  "pocket-money."  Often 
was  I  driven  to  the  point  of  changing  my  favorite  coin ;  and 
had  aunt  been  near  me,  she  would  have  said,  in  a  moment, 
"  Cash  it." 

A  friend  at  length  told  me  I  need  not  be  without  money  a 
single  day,  and  cashed  one  of  my  bills  immediately.  Ignorance 
in  spiritual  matters  may,  in  like  manner,  subject  us  to  much 
trouble,  and  many  unnecessary  and  evil  reasonings. 

The  fruits  of  the  Spirit  are  every  one  given  to  us  freely  of 
God,  and  made  known  and  sustained  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  1  Cor. 

2  :  12.  But  for  what  purpose  ?  To  be  kept  to  look  at  ?  or  to 
be  expended  as  the' necessities  of  the  soul  demand  ?  The  latter, 
most  certainly.  It  is  not  essential  that  you  should  be  able  to 
realize  or  analyze  in  your  heart  all  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  in 
the  same  hour.  You  should  remember  that,  as  one  piece  of 
gold  contains  several  pieces  of  silver,  so  it  may  be  also  with 
one  of  the  "  distinct  fruits  of  the  Spirit."  Circumstances  may 
absolutely  demand  that  he  who  has  a  golden  coin  should  have 
it  changed  into  silver ;  so  it  may  be  with  the  Christian,  in  refer- 


ADVICE    TO    AN    INQUIRER.  285 

ence  to  one  or  more  of  those  graces  or  "  fruits  of  the  Spirit," 
recorded  in  Galatians  5  :  22,  23.  By  this  important  passage 
examine  your  heart.  Suppose  you  enjoy  jteace,  but  this  implies 
faith.  Love,  but  faith  is  included  in  love.  Only  be  faithful, 
and  that  sweet  peace  or  confiding  love  may  be  "  changed  "  into 
conquering  faith  in  the  time  of  trial.  Joy  in  God  may  spring 
out  of  peace,  or  faith,  or  love;  but  when  your  heart  is  thrilling 
with  delight,  your  exulting  soul  is  far  above  such  nice  distinc- 
tions. This  is  proper.  Who  but  a  simpleton  would  refuse  the 
pleasure  of  sunshine  and  a  pleasant  walk,  until  he  had  first,  to 
his  own  satisfaction,  analyzed  a  sunbeam  ?  Enjoy  the  sunny 
hour  while  you  have  it.  Love,  peace,  and  faith  are  surely  there 
in  this  triumph  of  the  soul,  but  joy  carries  the  palm.  When  a 
great  hero  returns  victorious,  all  eyes  are  fixed  on  h.'m,  and  the 
subordinate  officers  who  contributed  to  the  victory,  though 
present,  are  overlooked ;  but  when  an  account  of  the  battle 
comes  before  the  public,  these  officers  appear  very  conspicuous 
in  the  engagement.  You  have  love,  but  this  is  a  piece  of  gold, 
and  it  may  in  time  of  necessity  be  discounted  into  "  long-suffer- 
ing, gentleness,  meekness,  temperance." 

You  desire  my  views  as  to  what  use  we  are  to  make  of  our 
past  experience.  Very  little  indeed,  unless  our  souls  are  in  a 
safe  and  happy  state  now.  We  may  employ  it  for  purposes  of 
repentance,  or  humiliation  ;  but  if  we  have  backslidden  from 
God,  we  must  not  entertain  hopes  of  heaven  on  that  ground  ;  no, 
not  at  our  peril.    Ezek.  33  :   13. 

One  day  last  winter,  while  in  Limerick,  I  called  at  the  house 
of  an  aged  man.  His  daughter  was  present.  I  asked  her 
whether  she  enjoyed  religion.  The  old  man  remained  silent 
for  a  few  moments,  to  give  her  time  to  reply,  for  he  knew  it 
was  not  with  her  as  formerly.  There  was  no  answer.  "  Sir," 
he  said,  "  when  I  was  a  boy,  I  lived  with  my  uncle,  and  I  had 
plenty,  —  good  breakfasts,  good  dinners,  and  suppers,  —  but," 
pointing  to  some  potato-cakes  which  were  over  the  fire,  pre- 
paring for  their  humble  meal,  he  added,  "these  cakes  are  bet- 
ter to  me  720ZZ7." 

This  was  a  homely,  but  a  striking  illustration.     We  can  no 


286  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

more  subsist  upon  grace  received  years  or  months  ago,  than  that 
man  could  live  upon  the  meals  he  received  when  a  boy,  at  his 
rich  uncle's  table.  A  few  potato-cakes  were  of  more  importance 
to  him  in  his  old  age.  I  would  not,  however,  advise  you  to 
write  your  experience  upon  the  sand.  We  are  not  to  throw 
away  the  past  dealings  of  God  with  our  souls,  as  we  do  our 
almanacs  when  they  are  out  of  date. 

As  these  calendars  are  of  use  to  the  end  of  the  year,  so  is  the 
record  of  our  past  religious  feelings  to  the  end  of  life.  Who 
would  cast  away  his  almanac  when  only  the  half  of  the  year 
has  expired  ? 

The  calculations  laid  down  in  the  moment  of  the  "  new 
birth"  are  in  force  all  the  days  of  our  life,  if  the  grace  be 
retained,  —  from  the  first  hour  of  our  second  birth  to  the  last 
hour  of  our  connection  with  the  body. 

If  ever  God  pardon  a  sinner,  there  is  a  last  moment  when  his 
sins  are  unpardoned,  and  a  first,  in  which,  for  the  sake  of  Christ, 
they  are  all  forgiven  him.  It  is  a  matter  of  no  small  conse- 
quence that  he  should  be  able  to  distinguish  such  a  period  in 
his  past  history. 

A  Christian  has  great  advantage  in  all  his  conflicts,  when  he 
can  confidently  refer  to  the  precise  time  and  place  of  his  conver- 
sion. The  sea-captain  is  much  assisted  and  encouraged,  though 
tossed  and  driven  by  winds  and  waves,  by  a  reference  to  the 
'■'-reckoning''''  he  has  kept  since  land  disappeared  from  his  sight. 
Allow  that  he  has  lost  his  reckoning,  or  never  had  a  correct 
one  ;  it  is  no  matter  how  well  the  ship  is  managed,  he  has  no 
assurance  he  shall  ever  reach  the  port  of  his  destination;  nor 
will  he  have  any  comfort  till,  by  some  means  or  other,  he  shall 
obtain  his  exact  latitude  and  longitude.  But  the  hour  the  mat- 
ter is  settled  is  that  from  which  he  reckons.  The  illustration 
shows  the  state  of  that  man  who  has  lost  the  grace  of  the  second 
birth,  or  who  seriously  doubts  whether  the  mighty  change  has 
been  accomplished  in  the  history  of  his  mind. 

I  told  the  congregation,  the  other  night,  of  a  good  man  in 
Dutchess  county,  New  York,  who  said,  "  I  know  the  time  and 
place  of  my  conversion.     It  was  in  the  corner  of  a  certain  field 


ADVICE    TO    AN    INQUIRER.  287 

where  God  had  mercy  upon  my  soul ;  and  there  I  drove  down 
a  stake.  The  devil  often  assaults  me;  and  when  he  does  so 
with  violence,  I  walk  down  to  the  spot,  and  I  have  thought  the 
devil  fool  enough  to  accompany  me.  I  point  to  the  stake,  and 
say,  Now,  devil,  do  you  see  that  post  ?  Well,  there,  at  such  a 
time  God  converted  my  soul ;  and  I  enjoy  the  evidence  yet.' 
This  is  an  argument  Satan  has  never  been  able  to  stand,  and 
he  gives  the  matter  up  as  a  lost  case." 

But  we  have  something  more  substantial  than  such  a  dead, 
corruptible  witness.  Please  read  Romans  8 :  15,  16 ;  Gala- 
tians  4 :  6.  When  such  a  cry  as  is  mentioned  in  the  last  pas- 
sage comes  into  the  heart,  it  is  loud  enough  for  the  soul  to 
hear ;  nor  shall  it  ever  be  forgotten. 

Has  the  intelligent  friend  for  whom  you  desire  these  remarks 
read  the  works  of  Dr.  Paley  ?  If  so,  she  will  recognize .  the 
following  striking  sentiments.  His  "  Evidences  of  Christianity," 
and  "  Moral  and  Political  Economy,"  are  in  high  repute  in  all 
places  of  learning,  and  secure  him  from  the  imputation  of  being 
an  "  enthusiast  or  a  fanatic."  "  I  do  not,"  says  this  great 
writer,  "  in  the  smallest  degree,  mean  to  undervalue  or  speak 
lightly  of  such  changes,  whenever  or  in  whomsoever  they  take 
place.  Nor  to  deny  that  they  may  be  sudden,  yet  lasting. 
Nay,  I  am  rather  inclined  to  think,  that  it  is  in  this  manner 
they  frequently  take  place.  Nor  to  dispute  what  is  upon  good 
testimony  alleged  concerning  conversion  being  brought  about 
by  affecting  incidents  of  life,  striking  passages  of  Scripture ;  by 
impressive  discourses  from  the  pulpit;  by  what  we  meet  with 
in  books,  or  even  by  single  touching  sentences  in  such  discourses 
or  books.  I  am  not  disposed  to  question  such  relations  unneces- 
sarily, but  rather  to  bless  God  for  such  instances,  when  I  hear 
of  them,  and  to  regard  them  as  merciful  ordinations  of , his 
providence.  Now,  of  the  persons  in  our  congregations,  to  whom 
we  not  only  may,  but  must  preach  the  doctrine  of  conversion 
plainly  and  directly,  are  there,  who,  with  the  name,  indeed,  of 
Christians,  have  hitherto  passed  their  lives  without  any  internal 
religion  whatever.  These  are  no  more  Christians,  as  to  any 
actual  benefit  of  Christianity  to  their  souls,  than  the  most  hard- 


288  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

ened  Jew  or  the  most  profligate  Gentile  was  in  the  age  of 
the  Gospel.  As  to  any  difference  in  the  two  cases,  it  is  all 
against  them.  These  must  be  converted  before  they  can  be 
saved.  The  course  of  their  thoughts  must  be  changed ;  the 
very  principles  upon  which  they  act  must  be  changed.  Con- 
siderations which  never,  or  hardly  ever,  entered  into  their 
minds,  must  deeply  and  perpetually  engage  them.  Views  and 
motives  which  did  not  influence  them  at  all  must  become  the 
views  and  motives  which  they  regularly  consult,  and  by  which 
they  are  guided ;  that  is  to  say,  there  must  be  a  revolution  of 
principle.  The  visible  conduct  will  change,  but  there  must 
be  a  revolution  within.  A  change  so  entire,  so  deep,  so  import- 
ant as  this,  I  do  allow  to  be  conversion ;  and  no  one  who  is  in 
the  situation  above  described  can  be  saved,  without  undergoing 
it ;  and  he  must  necessarily  both  be  sensible  of  it  at  the  time, 
and  remember  it  all  his  life  afterwards.  It  is  too  momentous  an 
event  ever  to  be  forgotten ;  a  man  might  as  easily  cease  to  recollect 
his  escape  from  shipwreck.  Whether  it  was  sudden,  or  whether 
it  was  gradual,  if  it  were  effected  (and  the  fruits  will  prove 
that),  it  was  true  conversion,  and  every  such  person  may  justly 
both  believe  and  say  for  himself  that  he  was  converted  at  a 
particular  assignable  time.  It  may  not  be  necessary  to  speak 
of  his  conversion,  but  he  will  always  think  of  it  with  unbounded 
thankfulness  to  the  Giver  of  all  grace,  the  Author  of  all 
mercies. 

"  The  next  description  of  persons  to  whom  we  must  ^each 
conversion,  properly  so  called,  are  those  who  allow  themselves 
in  the  course  of  any  known  sin.  The  allowed  prevalence  of 
any  one  known  sin  is  sufficient  to  exclude  us  from  the  char- 
acter of  God's  children ;  and  we  must  be  converted  from  sin,  in 
order  to  become  such.     Here,  then,  we  must  preach  conversion. 

"  In  these  two  cases,  therefore,  men  must  be  converted,  or 
remain  unconverted  and  die  ;  and  the  time  of  conversion  can  be 
ascertained.  There  must  that  pass  within  them,  at  some  par- 
ticular assignable  time,  which  is  properly  conversion,  and  will 
all  their  lives  be  remembered  as  such.  This  description,  with- 
out all  doubt,  comprehends  great  numbers,  and  it  is  each  per- 


ADVICE  TO  AN  INQUIRER.  289 

son*s  business  to  settle  it  with  himself  whether  he  be  not  of  the 
number  ;  —  if  he  be,  he  sees  what  is  to  be  done." 

But,  to  refer  more  inmiediately  to  your  own  experience.  It  is 
your  duty  to  keep  in  memory  God's  gracious  dealings  with 
your  soul  in  times  past.  The  Israelites  were  commanded  by 
the  Lord,  Exod.  16  :  32,  33,  to  fill  a  pot  with  manna,  and  lay  it 
up  before  the  testimony  as  a  memorial  of  the  bread  rained 
down  from  heaven  when  God  brought  his  people  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt.  The  stone  which  the  prophet  Samuel  raised 
between  Mizpeh  and  Sher  was  a  remembrancer.  He  named  it 
Ebenezer,  saying,  "  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us  ! " 
25 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   CONVERT   UNDER   SORE   TEMPTATION. 

I  DO  not  wonder  that,  instead  of  peace,  you  have  "  trouble^'' 
in  all  your  "  borders."  When  a  prisoner  has  escaped,  the 
"  hue  and  cry  "  is  immediately  raised.  So  long  as  he  remained 
safe  in  the  cell,  there  was  quietness  and  peace  in  the  prison ; 
but  if  he  have  broken  his  fetters,  and  forced  back  bolts  and 
locks,  and  got  loose,  the  jailer  will  try  to  raise  the  country  after 
him.  The  devil  was  your  jailer,  and  he  kept  you  a  close  pris- 
oner :  but  one  mightier  than  he  has  forced  open  your  prison 
doors ;  and  there  were  none  present  to  say  to  the  enraged  fiend, 
as  St.  Paul  to  the  distracted  jailer,  "  Do  thyself  tio  harm ;  we 
are  all  here.^''  No,  bless  God,  he  is  minus  of  one.  One  !  hal- 
lelujah !  hundreds  have  vacated  their  cells  lately,  as  if  an 
earthquake  had  shaken  hell's  prison ;  and  they  are  free  from  his 
hellish  grasp,  at  least,  for  the  present.  And  it  will  be  their  own 
fault  if  they  are  ever  again  within  the  grasp  of  his  power. 

Your  case  bears  no  small  resemblance  to  that  of  the  Israel- 
ites. When  they  toiled  at  the  brick-kilns  of  Egypt,  and  bowed 
their  necks  uncomplainingly  to  the  yoke  of  Pharaoh,  it  was 
well.  They  endured  the  hardships  of  a  degrading  slavery,  but 
Pharaoh  thought  very  well  of  them.  The  Lord  God,  at  length, 
broke  from  off  them  the  yoke  of  that  tyrant,  and,  with  a  strong 
hand,  brought  them  forth  from  a  cruel  bondage.  But  Pharaoh 
pursued  them  with  "  horsemen  and  chariots  of  war,"  intending 
to  slay,  or  terrify  them  back  again  into  bondage. 

And  thus  it  was  with  you.  When  in  the  devil's  service,  he 
gave  you  plenty  of  work,  hard  work,  hushed  your  guilty  fears, 
and  thus  rendered  you  a  willing  captive.  No  sooner,  however, 
did  you  begin  to  struggle  for  liberty,  than  he  changed  his  voice 


THE  CONVERT    UNDER    SORE  TEMPTATION.  291 

concerning  you.  The  Lord  came  down  with  an  outstretched 
arm  and  a  strong  hand,  and  bade  the  oppressed  go  free.  *  The 
tyrannical  and  galling  yoke  of  Satan  was  rent  off  from  your 
soul,  and  you  left  his  service  and  territories  in  triumph.  The 
old  tyrant,  the  devil,  it  seems,  is  aroused ;  —  all  hell's  legions 
are  out  in  pursuit !  "  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Wherefore 
criest  thou  unto  me  ?  —  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they 
go  forwards  Exod.  16  :  15.  Go  forward,  my  dear  friend  ; 
and  that  God  who  interposed  his  power  so  miraculously  in 
behalf  of  the  Israelites  at  the  Red  Sea  will  surely  overthrow 
your  spiritual  enemies.  Your  present  conflicts  are  severe,  but 
you  should  consider  them  rather  as  tokens  of  the  safety  of  your 
state.  I  was  once  highly  pleased  and  profited  by  the  following 
sentiments  of  an  old  divine.  May  they  prove  a  blessing  to 
you !  —  "  The  less  peace  you  have  from  the  devil,  the  more 
pleasure  you  may  take  in  the  reflection  that  you  have  escaped 
out  of  his  clutches.  The  more  restlessly  he  follows  you  with 
the  fury  of  many  temptations,  the  more  sweetly  and  securely, 
if  you  give  way  to  the  counsel  of  the  prophets  and  the  work 
of  faith,  may  you  repose  your  wearied  soul  upon  the  comfort- 
able assurance  of  being  certainly  a  child  of  God."  Bradford, 
the  martyr,  you  may  remember,  considered  his  sufferings  only 
as  so  many  evidences  that  he  was  in  the  right  way.  A  good 
man,  many  years  ago,  foiled  the  devil  with  the  following 
weapon  :  "  I  am  now,  in  Christ,  a  new  creature ;  and  that  is 
what  troubles  thee,  Satan.  I  might  have  continued  in  my  sins 
long  enough  ere  thou  wouldst  have  been  vexed  at  it ;  but  now  I 
see  thou  dost  envy  me  the  grace  of  my  Saviour."  The  tempter, 
finding  himself  discovered  and  resisted,  retreated  from  the  field. 
As  to  your  fear  of  backsliding,  I  can  only  say  to  you  as 
did  an  aged  Christian  to  one  troubled  with  a  similar  apprehen- 
sion :  "  So  long  as  you  fear,  and  are  humbly  dependent  upon 
God,  you  shall  never  fall,  but  certainly  prevail."  The  indi- 
vidual, I  believe,  till  the  end  of  life,  realized  the  truth  of  the 
remark.  Satan  is  a  shrewd  and  crafty  antagonist.  He  has 
encountered  many  a  Christian,  and  has  even  "  measured 
swords  "  with   Jesus   Christ  himself.     Whatever  the  weapons 


293  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

are  you  chose  to  fight  with,  he  will  never  fail  to  try  what  imtal 
they'are  made  of.  I  well  remember,  at  a  particular  and  some- 
what trying  period  of  my  Christian  life,  one  who  had  more  faith 
and  courage  than  myself  said  :  "  The  glorious  splendor  of  the 
Christian  arm6r  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  Ephesians  is  able,  my 
brother,  to  dazzle  the  devil's  eyes,  daunt  his  courage,  and  drive 
him  from  the  field." 

I  replied,  mournfully,  "  Perhaps  so ;  but  I  think  the  devil 
is  determined  to  examine  mine  pretty  closely,  as  if  to  try  of 
what  sort  of  metal  it  is  made." 

That  advice  of  the  apostle  is  particularly  applicable  to  you 
just  now  :  "  Let  patience  have  her  perfect  work,  that  ye  may  he 
perfect  and  entire,  wanting  nothing ^  Neither  fret  nor  mur- 
mur ;  quietly  wait  upon  God,  and  endure  to  the  end  of  this 
trial,  and  those  graces  of  the  Spirit  which  are  as  yet  imperfect 
shall  be  brought  unto  a  state  of  complete  perfection. 

"  Patient  wait  in  sore  temptation, 
Let  no  murmuring  thought  arise  ; 
Firm  in  deepest  tribulation, 
Breathe  thy  wishes  to  the  skies  ; 
When  afflictions  all  surround  thee, 
Calm  attend  thy  Maker's  will ; 
Pain  nor  death  shall  e'er  confound  thee, 
Only  know  him  and  be  still." 

If  faithful,  you  will  lose  nothing,  but  be  an  infinite  gainer  by 
these  trials.  If  they  drive  you  to  seek  purity  of  heart,  all  shall 
be  well ;  you  will  then  be  safer  than  now,  because  not  so  liable 
to  depart  from  God,  nor  so  easily  corrupted  by  the  devil.  In- 
dwelling sin  is  his  faithful  ally,  but  a  most  treacherous  and 
dangerous  foe  to  the  soul.  "  A  holy  Christian,"  said  a  good 
man,  "  is  like  ugold.  Now,  cast  gold  into  the  fire,  or  into  the 
water ;  cast  it  upon  the  dunghill,  or  into  the  pleasant  garden ; 
cast  it  among  the  poor,  or  among  the  rich, — among  the  religious, 
or  among  the  licentious ;  yet  still  it  is  gold, —  still  it  retains  its 
purity  and  its  excellency.  Holiness  is  conservative  ;  it  is  the 
preserver  of  the  soul.  It  was  holiness  that  enabled  St.  Austin 
to  thank  God  that  his  heart  and  the  temptation  did  not  meet 


THE  CONVERT  UNDER  SORE  TEMPTATION.       293 

together.  "  As  things  are  in  their  nature  and  principles,"  says 
Flavel,  "  so  they  are  in  their  operations  and  effects ;  fire  and  water 
are  of  contrary  qualities,  and  when  they  meet,  they  efTectually 
oppose  each  other.  Sin  and  holiness  are  so  opposite,  that  if  sin 
should  cease  to  oppose  holiness,  it  would  cease  to  be  sin ;  and 
if  holiness  should  not  oppose  sin,  it  would  cease  to  be  holiness." 
When  holiness  has  charge  of  the  soul,  every  bad  thought  in- 
jected by  the  devil  is  repulsed  with  a  holy  indignation.  There 
is  a  great  difference  in  the  effects  of  a  spark  falling  upon  a  mar- 
ble floor  ^  clean  and  white,  and  a  floor  sprinkled  with  gunpowder. 
Nevertheless,  my  dear  friend,  if  you  are  faithful  to  God,  though 
you  have  to  contend  wuth  indwelling  sin,  and  "  various  tempta- 
tions," God  will  never  forsake  you,  so  long  as  you  maintain  the 
contention.  The  Tyrians  bound  their  idol  gods  with  chains, 
lest,  in  the  time  of  danger,  they  should  desert  their  old  friends ; 
but  our  God  has  bound  himself  with  the  chains  of  his  promises, 
that  he  will  not  leave  nor  forsake  us. 

Consider  the  following  comforting  promise  :  "  For  he  hath 
said  J  I  will  never  leave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee."  Heb.  13  :  5. 
An  old  writer  comments  upon  the  above  passage  thus  :  "  The 
Greek  has  five  negatives,  and  may  thus  be  rendered  :  '  I  will 
not,  not  leave  thee,  neither  will  I  not,  not  forsake  thee.'  The 
precious  promise,  you  will  perceive,  is  renewed  five  times,  that 
we  might  have  strong  consolation  and  vigorous  confidence." 
The  words  were  originally  spoken  to  Joshua :  "  As  I  was  with 
Moses,  so  I  will  be  ivith  thee  :  I  will  not  fail  thee  nor  forsake 
thee.'^  A  blessed  promise  this ;  and  it  may  be  righteously 
claimed  by  every  spiritual  warrior  in  the  army  of  Jesus  Christ. 
It  was  afterward  quoted  by  David,  for  the  encouragement  of  his 
son  Solomon  :  '^  Be  strong  and  of  good  courage,  and  do  it ;  fear 
not,  nor  be  dismayed :  for  the  Lord  God,  even  my  God,  will  be 
with  thee  ;  he  loill  not  fail  thee,  nor  forsake  thee,  until  thou  hast 
finished  all  the  work  for  the  service  of  the  house  of  the  Lord." 
1  Chron.  28  :  20.  It  is  repeated  ag^ain  in  the  book  of  Psalms  ; 
"  My  loving  kindness  will  I  not  utterly  take  from  him,  nor  suffer 
my  faithfulness  to  fail." 

Any  one  reading  the  Greek  of  Heb.  13  :  5  cannot  fail  to  see 
25* 


294  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

the  truth  of  the  old  divine's  criticism,  with  regard  to  the  nega- 
tives. The  promise  was  concluded  by  the  apostle,  in  additional 
strength  of  language,  that  it  might  harmonize  more  fully 
with  the  superiority  of  Gospel  privileges,  when  compared  with 
the  Jewish.  The  promise  had  passed  the  cross  of  Christ,  hence 
the  propriety  of  its  peculiar  strength.  It  is  impossible  to  con- 
ceive how  words  could  be  better  arranged  to  express  the  un- 
changeable friendship  of  God  toward  those  who  put  their  trust 
in  him.  Dr.  Doddridge  renders  it :  "I  will  not,  I  will  not  leave 
thee  ;  I  will  never,  never,  never  forsake  thee."  O  !  my  friend ! 
all  hell  cannot  prevent  the  virtue  of  this  promise  from  wielding 
an  influence  upon  your  present  and  eternal  well-being,  so  long 
as  you  are  faithful.  Has  he  not  also  assured  you,  "  When  thou 
passest  through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee ;  and  through  the 
rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee  :  when  thou  walkest  through 
the  fire,  thou  shalt  not  be  burned ;  neither  shall  the  flame  kindle 
upon  thee  "  ? 

Many  times  have  I  joined  the  American  Christians  in  singing 
the  following  beautiful  lines,  which  will  serve  as  a  sort  of  com- 
ment upon  the  above  passages.  Often,  very  often,  have  we 
rejoiced  with  joy  unspeakable  while  we  sang  :  — 

*'How  firm  a  foundation,  ye  saints  of  the  Lord, 
Is  laid  for  your  faith,  in  his  excellent  word ! 
What  more  could  he  say  than  to  you  he  has  said, 
You  who  unto  Jesus  for  refuge  have  fled  ? 

"  In  every  condition,  in  sickness  and  health, 
In  poverty's  vale,  or  abounding  in  wealth. 
At  home  or  abroad,  on  the  land,  on  the  sea. 
As  thy  day  may  demand,  shall  thy  strength  ever  be. 

*'  Fear  not,  I  am  with  you  ;  oh,  be  not  dismayed, — 
I,  I  am  thy  God,  and  will  still  give  you  aid; 
I  '11  strengthen  thee,  help  thee,  and  cause  thee  to  stand, 
Upheld  by  my  righteous,  omnipotent  hand. 

"  When  through  the  deep  waters  I  call  thee  to  go, 
The  rivers  of  woe  shall  not  thee  overflow; 
For  I  will  be  with  thee,  thy  troubles  to  bless, 
And  sanctify  to  thee  thy  deepest  distress. 


THE  CONVERT  UNDER  SORE  TEMPTATION.       296 

**  When  through  fiery  trials  thy  pathway  shall  lie, 
My  grace  all-sufficient  shall  be  thy  supply  ; 
The  flames  shall  not  hurt  thee,  —  I  only  design 
Thy  dross  to  consume,  and  thy  gold  to  refine. 

"  Even  down  to  old  age,  all  my  people  shall  prove 
My  faithful,  eternal,  unchangeable  love  ; 
And  when  hoary  hairs  do  their  temples  adorn, 
Like  lambs  they  shall  still  on  my  bosom  be  borne. 

"The  soul  that  on  Jesus  doth  lean  for  repose, 
/  will  not,  I  will  not  desert  to  his  Joes  ; 
That  soul  though  all  hell  should  endeavor  to  shake, 
I'll  never,  — no,  never,  — no,  never  forsake  !  " 

Although,  then,  you  are  in  heaviness  through  manifold  tempta' 
tiony  that  the  trial  of  your  faith  may  be  more  precious 'than  gpld, 
you  see  what  a  groundwork  there  is  for  confidence  and  spiritual 

joy- 

I  have  frequently  had  the  perception  you  speak  of,  —  of  the 
•presence  of  angels.  But  I  have  told  to  very  few  my  own  experi- 
ence with  regard  to  such  manifestations.  Few,  except  those  who 
walk  very  closely  with  God,  would  understand.  It  is  written,  the 
angel  of  "  the  lord  encampeth  round  about  those  that  fear  him" 
to  succor  or  to  deliver.  I  was  reading,  the  other  day,  an  ac- 
count of  one  of  the  primitive  Christians,  who  suffered  for  Christ 
the  extremest  tortures-;  —  a  young  man,  if  I  remember  aright. 
When  doing  their  utmost  to  torment  him  on  the  rack,  he  seemed 
very  happy ;  and  so  overpowering  were  the  comforts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  he  declared  that  he  himself  was  unconscious  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  his  body,  —  that  his  pleasures  were  unutterable! 
Tired,  at  length,  of  tormenting  him,  they  took  him  down  from 
the  rack,  —  at  which  he  complained,  saying,  now  they  were 
doing  him  wrong.  "  For,"  said  he,  "  all  the  while  I  was  on  the 
rack,  and  you  were  venting  your  malice  against  me,  I  thought 
there  was  a  young  man  in  white,  —  an  angel  that  stood  by  me, 
who  wiped  off  the  sweat ;  and  I  found  a  great  deal  of  sweetness 
in  my  sufferings,  which  now  I  have  lost."  Nor  need  we  wonder 
at  this,  seeing  that  the  word  of  God  expressly  declares  that  they 
are  "  all  ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  far  them  who 


296  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

shall  be  heirs  of  salvation,'"  Heb.  1 :  14.  We  may  not,  indeed, 
be  at  all  times  sensible  of  their  presence ;  but  they  are  always 
near  us,  and,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  as  the  case  may  require, 
exert  their  influence  for  our  comfort  in  or  deliverance  from 
temptation.  You  will  do  well,  however,  to  meditate  much  upon 
that  fine  promise  :  "  There  hath  no  temptation  taken  you  but  such 
as  is  common  to  man ;  but  God  is  faithful,  who  will  not  suffer 
you  to  be  tempted  above  that  ye  are  able  ;  but  will  with  the  tempt- 
ation also  make  a  way  to  escape,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  bear  it" 
The  "  way  of  escape  "  you  must  leave  to  him.  Perhaps,  you 
may  yet  have  to  sing,  — 

"  Thine  arm  hath  safely  brought  us 
A  way  no  more  expected 

Than  when  thy  sheep  passed  through  the  deep, 
By  crystal  walls  protected." 

Before  long,  God  will  bruise  Satan  under  your  feet.  Is  it  not 
written,  "  For  he  that  toucheth  you  toucheth  the  apple  of  his  eye  "  ? 
"  And,"  said  a  good  man  once,  "  And  whosoever  is  bold  enough 
to  touch  the  apple  of  God's  eye,  shall  dearly  smart  for  it."  Was 
it  not  upon  this  principle  Christ  declared,  in  reference  to  any 
who  should  dare  to  offend  one  of  these  little  ones  who  believe  in 
him,  that  rather  than  be  guilty  of  such  an  offence,  and  the 
hazard  which  attends  it,  it  would  be  better  for  him  that  a  mill- 
stone were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  he  were  cast  into  the  sea  ? 
If  the  displeasure  of  the  Loixi  is  so  severe  against  a  human  per- 
secutor, how  much  more  against  a  knowing  and  malignant  devil ! 
The  devil  hazards  more  than  we  are  aware  of,  when  he  attacks 
the  saints,  —  especially  a  new  convert. 

The  value  of  the  prize,  and  some  great  and  infernal  principles 
involved  in  the  matter,  overbalance  the  risk,  possibly,  in  the 
estimation  of  the  prince  of  darkness.  We  shall  know  more 
about  these  things  hereafter.  It  is  sufficient  for  us  to  know  that, 
if  we  resist  the  devil,  he  will  fee  from  us.  James  4:7.  If  we 
parley,  he  will  bid  defiance  to  heaven,  and  pursue  our  track,  as 
the  shark  the  wandering  and  fated  ship.  When  in  the  city  of 
Cork,  Ireland,  I  was  conversing  with  an  old  Irish  class-leader,  on 


THE  CONVERT  UNDER  SORE  TEMPTATION.       297 

the  severe  mental  conflicts  with  which  some  good  people  are 
particularly  harassed.  He  said,  he  sometimes  told  the  tempted 
ones  in  his  class  that  the  devil  is  just  like  a  dog;  —  the  dog  will 
stay  with  you,  and  lie  under  the  table,  if  you  will  only  give  him 
bones  to  gnaw ;  and  when  he  does  obtain  them,  he  will  keep  snarl- 
ing and  grumbling  still.  Doubts,  fears,  evil  reasonings,  and  sur- 
mises, are  such  bones  as  the  devil  loves  to  pick,  and  they  are  never 
sweeter  than  when  given  by  a  human  hand ;  the  more  of  these 
you  give  him,  the  closer  he  will  press  upon  you,  and  the  more 
steadily  will  he  pursue  you,  and  wait  upon  you  in  all  your  rest- 
ing-places. The  more  bones  you  throw  him,  the  louder  he  will 
snarl,  and  the  more  annoying  will  he  become.  Let  him  have  no 
more  bones.  Starve  the  devil,  and  he  will  leave  you ;  he  will 
go  elsewhere ;  he  is  the  last  being  in  the  universe  that  will  spend 
his  short  time  to  no  purpose.  The  illustration  is  homely,  but  it 
unfolds  a  great  and  solemn  truth. 

But  I  must  hasten  to  a  conclusion.  Forget  not  that  you 
have  a  Mediator  in  heaven :  "  We  have  an  Advocate  with  the 
Father  J  Jesus  Christ,  the  righteous."  The  devil  may  accuse,  but 
you  cannot  be  overthrown  while  you  commit  your  cause  into  the 
hands  of  such  an  Advocate.  Heavy  were  the  accusations  against 
^schylus,  in  the  old  story,  and  some  of  them,  indeed,  were  too 
true ;  but  his  brother,  who  had  received  many  wounds  in  the 
battles  of  the  Commonwealth,  moved  the  magistrates  in  his  favor. 
Every  scar  was  an  argument,  — an  advocate !  Come,  my  friend, 
enter  now  into  your  closet,  kneel  down,  and  sing  that  fine  verse  : 

"Entered  the  holy  place  above, 
Covered  with  meritorious  scars, 
The  tokens  of  his  dying  love, 
Our  great  High  Priest  in  glory  bears  ; 
He  pleads  his  passion  on  the  tree, 
He  shows  himself  to  God  for  me." 

"  He  is  come ! "  cried  a  martyr,  clapping  his  hands,  on  the 
way  to  the  stake.  But  he  had  been  greatly  dejected  before,  and 
had  suffered  much  from  that  cause.  "  He  is  come  !  He  is  come  ! " 
told  that  the  presence  of  Jesus  had  banished  all  his  sadness,  and 
turned  his  sorrow  into  joy.     My  prayer  is,  that  you  may  be 


298  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

enabled  to  exclaim,  "  He  is  come !  He  is  come ! "  before  you  arise 
from  your  knees. 

That  was  a  fine  saying  of  Augustine,  when  reproached  by  his 
persecutors  for  his  past  wicked  life,  —  "  The  more  desperate  my 
case  was,  the  more  I  admire  my  physician."  This  sword  has 
two  edges :  you  may  wield  it  against  the  devil  when  he  assails 
you  with  those  weapons  which  your  past  life  has  furnished  him ; 
and,  should  your  mourning  be  turned  into  joy,  you  may  lay 
about  you  with  the  other  edge.  "  The  more  desperate  my  case 
was,  the  more  I  admire  my  physician ! "  Let  Jesus,  and  him 
crucified,  be  your  only  plea.  Trust  simply  and  singly  in  the 
merits  of  his  blood.  Resolve  to  do  this  in  life,  in  death,  and 
forever.  This,  too,  is  a  mighty  weapon.  It  was  wielded,  a  few 
years  ago,  with  great  effect,  by  one  of  our  local  preachers,  in 
America,  when  dying :  "  I  die,"  said  he,  "  wrapped  in  the  merits 
of  Jesus ;  and  I  shall  lie  down  in  the  grave  wrapped  in  the  merits 
of  Jesus ;  and  I  shall  rise  in  the  morning  of  the  resurrection 
wrapped  in  the  merits  of  Jesus  !  "  The  devil  trembled  and  fled 
before  it,  and  the  saint  entered  into  his  rest  with  glorious  joy. 

An  old  writer  says  :  "  As  corn  is  beholden  to  the  flail  to  thresh 
off*  its  husks,  or  as  the  iron  is  beholden  to  the  file  to  brighten 
it,  so  necessary  are  temptations  and  afflictions  to  the  people  of 
God."  An  hour  of  affliction,  or  a  day  of  sore  temptation,  has 
often  been  more  beneficial  to  my  soul  than  many  days  of  sunny 
prosperity.  There  are  herbs,  you  know,  whose  virtue  consists 
chiefly  in  their  fragrance,  but  some  of  them  are  quite  scentless 
and  uninteresting  till  bruised ;  then  they  shed  their  perfume  all 
around.  Thus  it  is  with  many  a  Christian.  The  fragrance  of 
his  piety  is  never  diff'used  abroad  until  he  is  well  bruised ;  — 
till 

"  Hell  has  won  its  will, 
To  wring  his  soul  with  agony." 

"  Our  prayers  and  meditations,"  said  a  good  man,  "  like  hot 
spices,  are  most  fragrant  when  our  hearts  are  bruised  in  God's 
mortar,  and  broken  with  afflictions  and  troubles."  When  such 
a  one,  after  a  day  or  week  of  trial,  speaks  in  a  class  or  a  love- 


THE    CONVERT    UiNDER    SORE    TEMPTATION.  299 

feast,  an  influence  from  heaven  descends  upon  all  around.     I 
have  frequently  observed  this,  and  have  felt,  with  the  poet, 

"  'T  is  even  as  if  an  angel  shook  his  wings,  — 
Immortal  fragrance  fills  the  circuit  wide !  " 

Such  mental  trials  are  thus  overruled,  usually,  for  the  good 
of  a  privileged  few,  but  the  influence  often  extends  to  many. 
Like  his  Lord  and  Master,  the  tempted  one  may  terminate  his 
forty  days  of  trial  in  the  wilderness,  and  then  return  in  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  into  Galilee ;  and,  if  God  ordain  it  for  his 
glory,  the  fame  of  the  humble  and  zealous  man  may  spread 
through  all  the  region  round  about.  Luke  4 :  14.  Miracles  of 
grace  and  mercy  may  result  from  such  an  instrumentality.  But 
a  dispensation  like  this  is  as  great  a  mystery  to  sorne  carnal 
professors  as  was  Samson's  riddle  to  the  Philistines :  "  Out  of 
the  eater  came  forth  meat,  and  out  of  the  strong  came  forth  sweet- 
ness.'^ Judges  14 :  14.  Who  could  ever  have  imagined  that 
the  carcass  of  a  lion  should  have  become  a  bee-hive  ?  "  What 
is  stronger  than  a  lion  ?  ivhat  is  sweeter  than  honey  ?  "  Samson 
had  a  tremendous  conflict,  no  doubt,  with  the  lion.  When  he 
came  out  with  a  roar  against  him,  it  is  not  unlikely  he  appre- 
hended peril ;  but,  when  the  Spirit  came  mightily  upon  him,  he 
rent  the  furious  animal  as  it  had  been  a  kid,  and,  leaving  him 
dead,  went  on  his  way  rejoicing.  Sometime  afterward,  when 
passing  that  way,  he  turned  aside  to  see  the  carcass  of  his  old 
antagonist,  when,  "  lo  and  behold,"  he  found  therein  a  swarm 
of  bees,  with  plenty  of  honey  !  So  he  took  thereof  in  his  hands, 
and  went  on  eating,  till  he  met  his  father  and  mother;  and  he 
gave  them,  and  they  did  eat. 

You  can  apply  the  above  to  your  own  case,  and  carry  the 
idea,  if  you  please,  further  than  time  will  permit  me.  I  am 
persuaded,  however,  the  Lord  will  overrule  for  your  good,  so 
long  as  you  are  faithful  to  his  grace,  every  temptation  which 
may  assail  you.  A  poet  has  given  that  interesting  circumstance 
recorded  in  1  Kings  17 :  6  an  ingenious  turn :  — 


300  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

"Thus  Satan,  that  raven  unclean, 
Who  croaks  in  the  ears  of  his  saints, 
Compelled  by  a  power  unseen, 
Administers  oft  to  their  wants. 
God  teaches  them  oft  to  find  food. 
From  all  the  temptations  they  feel ; 
This  raven,  who  thirsts  for  their  blood, 
Has  helped  them  to  many  a  meal!  " 

I  have  often  thought  of  that  sentiment  written  by  a  young 
lady  in  America  to  a  friend  of  hers :  "I  believe  both  our  souls 
would  wither,  did  not  the  rough  wipd  sometimes  arise  to  blow 
away  the  dust  from  our  branches."  Had  not  that  terrible  tem- 
pest overtaken  the  disciples  on  the  lake,  they  would  not  have 
been  the  admiring  witnesses  of  that  stupendous  miracle  which 
humbled  into  silence  the  winds  and  the  waves.  Their  terror 
was  great,  when  they  cried :  "  Master,  car  est  thou  not  that  we 
perish  ? "  "  The  ship  toas  covered  with  the  waves ;  hut  he  was 
asleep.''^  But  how  great  was  their  joy  and  confidence,  when 
they  exclaimed  one  to  another,  "  What  manner  of  man  is  this  ? 
for  he  commandeth  even  the  winds  and  water,  and  they  obey  him.^* 

It  is  your  duty,  at  this  time,  to  look  for  divine  interference ; 
if  not  for  entire  deliverance,  yet  for  more  abundant  comfort  and 
joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  "  When,"  said  a  good  man  once, 
"  When  should  the  torch  be  lighted,  but  in  the  dark  night  ? 
When  should  the  fire  be  made,  but  when  the  weather  is  cold  ? 
And  when  should  the  cordial  be  given,  but  when  the  patient  is 
weak  ? "  A  poor  man,  in  a  certain  place,  was  heard  to  say, 
that  he  was  once  rich,  and  had  learned  something  of  God,  and 
then  he  prayed  continually  for  a  closer  walk  with  God.  "  But, 
at  first,"  he  continued,  "when  God  began  to  answer  my  prayers, 
I  thought  he  was  going  to  destroy  me ;  he  deprived  me  of  every- 
thing I  had,  but  he  gave  me  what  was  of  infinitely  more  value, 
even  to  know  more  of  himself  and  Jesus." 

How  often,  when  standing  on  the  sea-shore,  "  while  the  wind 
laid  on  the  sea  its  continuous  blast,  and  myriads  of  billows 
whitened  in  its  track,  and  wave  rolled  on  wave  in  emulous  con- 
fusion," have  I  watched  the  motions  of  the  buoy !  Again  and 
again  would  the  waves  pass  over  it ;  —  bury  it  for  a  moment, 


THE  CONVERT  UNDER  SORE  TEMPTATION.       301 

but  only  for  a  moment ;  again  it  appeared  riding  upon  the  tops 
of  crested  billows,  —  maintaining  its  position  steadily  amidst 
the  restless  and  frowning  elements;,  nor  departing  an  inch 
beyond  the  prescribed  limits,  because  attached  to  a  rock  which 
could  not  be  moved.  And  I  have  seen  the  Christian  also,  en- 
compassed with  warring  temptations  ;  as  if  the  strength  of  hell 
had  been  mustered  to  overthrow  him.  And  one  wave  of  trouble 
has  followed  upon  the  track  of  another,  yet  he  has  remained 
firmly  stationed  amidst  it  all ;  because  anchored  upon  the  Rock 
of  Ages.  He  could  smile  at  the  tempest,  and  laugh  at  the 
waves ;  —  his  heart  was  fixed,  trusting  in  the  Lord.  Thus  cir- 
cumstanced, I  have  heard  him  repeat  the  following  lines,  and 
with  an  energy  that  might  make  a  devil  tremble : 

"  Led  by  God,  I  brave  the  ocean  ; 
Led  by  Him,  the  storms  defy ; 
Calm  amidst  tremendous  motion. 
Knowing  that  tlje  Lord  is  nigh. 

Waves  obey  him, 
And  the  storms  before  him  fly." 

And,  after  the  storm  was  over,  I  have  seen  the  same  individ- 
ual "  emparadised  in  joy,"  and  not  a  cloud  upon  his  sky,  nor  a 
single  ripple  of  the  late  commotions  passing  over  his  composed 
breast,  and  remembering  his  troubles  only  as  waters  gone  by. 
Gifts  and  graces  from  above  have  I  known  to  descend  upon 
such  an  one,  with  an  unction  which  enabled  him  to  carry  every- 
thing before  him  among  the  ranks  of  sinners,  while  to  the  saints 
of  God  it  was  ''  as  if  an  angel  shook  his  loings." 

These  varieties  in  our  spiritual  pilgrimage,  like  the  various 
changes  which  occur  in  nature,  are,  though  painful,  best  for  us, 
doubtless ;  else  our  Heavenly  Father  would  not  permit  them. 
They  are  overruled  for  good,  and  why  should  we  complain?  — 

"Perpetual  sunshine  wastes  the  lovely  green. 
And  spreads  disaster  o'er  the  wide  terrene  ; 
Perpetual  storm  impedes  the  tender  growth, 
And  robs  the  fields  of  comeliness  and  worth. 
By  frequent  changes  yon  extensive  plain 
Is  made  to  yield  its  golden  stacks  of  grain  ; 
To  scenes  unvaried  nature  stands  opposed, 
By  clashing  processes  are  her  charms  disclosed." 

26 


302  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

The  heathens  themseives  had  some  perception  of  the  benefits 
arising  from  such  adverse  changes.  Hence  that  memorable 
paradox,  that,  "  None  is  so  unhappy  as  he  who  has  never  known 
adversity." 

Salvation  is  of  the  Lord.  Trust  in  him  at  all  times.  Rather 
die  than  sin.  Rest  fully,  firmly,  constantly,  upon  the  merits  of 
Christ. 

A  poet  has  truly  said,  "  Our  life  is  but  a  pilgrimage  of 
blasts."  The  sentiment  is  quite  as  applicable  now,  in  the  nine- 
teenth century,  as  it  was  in  the  seventeenth,  when  it  was  writ- 
ten. Your  temptations  are,  I  confess,  very  severe.  They  some- 
what resemble  those  which  led  a  pious  lady  mournfully  to  com- 
plain,—  "Mine  is  a  growing  sorrow.  Like  other  streams,  it 
widens  as  it  proceeds."  St.  Peter  denominates  such  trials 
"manifold  temptations."  They  are  "  varied,"  says  Mr.  Wesley, 
"  a  thousand  ways,  by  the  change  and  addition  of  numberless 
circumstances."  They  may  be  fitly  compared  to  those  Alpine 
difficulties  of  which  the  poet  speaks  : 

"But,  these  attained,  we  tremble  to  survey 
The  growing  labors  of  the  lengthened  way  ; 
The  increasing  prospect  tires  our  wandering  eyes, 
Hills  peep  o'er  hills,  and  Alps  o'er  Alps  arise. 

Yours  are  ^^ fiery  trials  ;  "  and  they  are  the  more  severe  on 
account  of  their  being  principally  mental.  The  pains  of  the 
mind  are  much  more  afflictive,  and  harder,  I  believe,  to  be 
borne,  than  those  of  the  body.  I  remember  an  apologue,  which 
came  over  to  us  some  years  ago,  from  Persia,  illustrative  of  this 
fact.  A  king  and  his  ministers  of  states  by  some  means,  were 
drawn  into  a  discussion,  whether  mental  or  corporeal  sufferings 
are  the  severest.  The  dispute  lasted  some  time,  and  resulted  in 
a  diflference  of  opinion.  One  of»the  ministers  proposed  an 
experiment,  which  was  agreed  to.  He  took  a  lamb  from  the 
flock,  broke  its  leg,  shut  it  up,  and  placed  plenty  of  food  before 
it  j  he  then  seized  another  lamb,  and  shut  it  up  with  a  tiger. 
The  tiger  was  bound  by  a  strong  chain,  so  that  the  beast  could 
spring  near  the  lamb  without  the  possibility  of  touching  it.     In 


THE    CONVERT    UNDER    SORE    TEMPTATION.  303 

the  morning  the  king  was  carried  to  see  the  result.  The  lamb 
with  the  broken  leg  had  eaten  all  its  food,  but  the  other  lay  dead 
through  fright.     You  can  make  the  application. 

While  I  was  in  Leeds,  a  brother  told  me  of  the  case  of  a  sis- 
ter who  had  suffered  severely  from  mental  conflicts.  One  said, 
"  Fear  not,  my  sister;  the  devil  is  a  chained  enemy !  "  With  a 
sorrowful  voice,  she  replied,  "  But  I  have  sometimes  thought 
his  chain  is  very  long." 

There  are  certain  kinds  of  temptation  which  are  termed  "  The 
deptlis  of  Sata7i;''  which  will  apply  to  those  "blasphemous 
thoughts"  of  which  you  speak.  "The  heavens  for  height,  and 
the  earth  for  depth ; "  but  how  very  far  is  it,  often,  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  depths  of  Satan's  malice,  and  cunning  working !  To 
the  heights  of  the  understanding  will  he  aspire,  and  to  the 
depths  of  the  heart  will  he  descend.  To  either  of  these  he  will 
carry  his  secret  and  infernal  counsels  and  plots,  and  with  incon- 
ceivable energy. 

I  have  met  with  the  remark  somewhere,  in  the  course  of  my 
reading,  that  the  Christian  should  be  influenced  by  a  retrospect- 
ive and  a  prospective  view  of  his  history,  and  derive  therefrom 
experience  and  comfort.  But  Satan  may  render  both  a  source 
of  annoyance  to  the  mind.  It  is  right  you  should  be  humbled 
in  the  view  of  the  past ;  but  it  is  wrong  to  allow  your  spirit  to 
be  depressed,  —  "  stung  and  tormented," — because  of  it.  If  your 
sins  are  forgiven  through  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  you 
should  rejoice  and  be  grateful,  —  not  sad  and  unthankful.  Nor 
should  you,  for  a  moment,  suppose  the  present  trials  which 
assail  you  "  are  acts  of  a  retributive  justice."  That  was  a  cor- 
rect saying  of  St.  Augustine  :  "  Our  sufferings  are  no  argument 
against  our  righteousness,  nor  even  for  our  righteousness,  but 
our  righteousness  may  be  an  ornament  to  our  sufferings." 
Look  at  unhappy  Benjamin !  Joseph  loved  him  more  than  any 
of  the  rest,  but  he  suffered  most  severely,  for  "  the  cup  was 
fo2ind  in  Benjamiii's  sach"  Nor  should  you  be  amazed  at  this, 
seeing  that  it  is  written  :  "  For  unto  you  it  is  given,''  as  a  token 
of  special  favor  and  honor,  "  in  the  behalf  of  Christy  not  only  to 
believe  in  him,  but  also  to  suffer  for  his  sake" 


304  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

You  have  a  skilful  and  malignant  enemy  to  contend  with, 
and  this  is  his  hour,  and  he  is  making  the  most  of  it ;  the  why 
and  the  loherefore,  you  shall  know  hereafter.  Satan  knows  you 
well ;  and  a  mechanic  never  understood  his  tools  better  than 
does  your  enemy.  He  knows  what  will  most  affect  you,  and 
the  instrument  most  suitable  to  wound  or  impress  you.  Your 
mind  is  sore,  and  it  has  a  leaning  just  now  to  melancholy ;  and 
the  mind,  like  a  tree,  is  easily  bent  in  the  direction  to  which  it 
leans.  Satan  knows  this,  and  his  entire  weight,  or,  at  least,  as 
much  as  God  permits,  is  thrown  upon  the  leaning  side.  Do  you 
understand  me  ? 

I  was  amused,  the  other  day,  with  the  quaint  remark  of  a  good 
man.  Speaking  of  the  devil,  he  remarked  :  "  The  fiend  might 
well  be  called  Beelzebub,  which  signifies  master  fly ;  because, 
as  a  fly,  he  quickly  returns  to  the  part  from  which  he  was  but 
now  beaten." 

A  tender  conscience  is  an  unspeakable  blessing,  as  it  may 
save  the  soul  from  unutterable  woes,  both  in  this  world  and  the 
next.  But  a  scrupulous  conscience  is  not  a  blessing ;  "  rather," 
says  Mr.  Wesley,  "  it  is  a  sore  evil."  It  is  upon  this  a  mali- 
cious tempter  likes  to  alight.  Again  and  again,  he  will  come 
down  upon  this  sore  place,  —  this  diseased  faculty  of  the  mind, — 
and  will  irritate  and  perpetuate  the  uneasiness  arising  from  that 
conscientious  scruple.  I  know  a  person  who  has  suffered  severely, 
in  past  years,  from  the  same  cause.  I  have  heard  him  say : 
"  The  melancholy  eye  of  my  soul  could  look  for  months  at  a 
case  of  conscience,  without  winking.  Although  my  reason  sees 
the  path  of  duty,  and  my  judgment  decides  against  the  cause  of 
my  uneasiness,  yet  all  the  decisions  of  the  higher  powers  of  my 
mind  are  insufficient  to  remove  the  secret  annoyance,  or  to 
satisfy  the  unreasonable  scruples  entertained  by  my  weak  con- 
science." 

Some  writer  compares  a  tender  conscience  to  the  eye ;  the 
least  dust  that  blows  into  it  will  make  it  smart,  and  this  not  from 
soreness,  but  from  quickness  of  sense.  Now,  this  quickness  of 
sense  is  the  preserver  of  that  delicate  organ ;  —  indeed,  it  may 
be  the  safe-guard  of  the  entire  body.     "  The  light  of  the  body 


THE  CONVERT  UNDER  SORE  TEMPTATION.       305 

is  the  eye."  Solomon  says,  "  The  wise  man's  eyes  are  in  his 
head;''''  —  his  ornament  and  his  defence.  The  eye,  when  used 
figuratively  in  Scripture,  generally  denotes  the  right  use  of 
reason.     A  poet  illustrates  the  idea  thus  : 

"  The  wise  are  circumspect,  maturely  weigh 
The  consequence  of  what  they  undertake, 
Good  ends  propose,  and  fittest  means  apply 
To  accomplish  their  designs." 

"  The  eye  is  to  the  body,"  says  one,  "  what  the  sun  is  to  the 
universe  in  the  day-time,  or  a  lamp  or  a  candle  to  a  house  at 
night."  The  conscience,  however,  may  be  fitly  compared  to  the 
eye,  and  its  quick  sensibilities  may  be  the  means  of  great  and 
continued  blessings  to  the  soul.  It  was  this  quality  in  King 
Josiah  that  secured  to  him  the  favor  of  God,  at  a  time  when 
the  aspect  of  providence  was  lowering  and  threatening :  "  Thus 
saith  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  As  touching  the  words  which  thou 
hast  heard;  because  thine  heart  was  tender,  and  thou  hast 
humbled  thyself  before  the  Lord,  when  thou  heardest  what  I 
spake  against  this  place,  and  against  the  inhabitants  thereof, 
that  they  should  become  a  desolation,  and  a  curse,  and  hast 
rent  thy  clothes,  and  wept  before  me ;  I  also  have  heard  thee, 
saith  the  Lord."  . 

But  there  is  a  difference  between  the  sensibilities  of  a  healthy 
eye,  and  those  which  arise  from  disease,  —  as  inflammation^  for 
instance.  It  is  so  with  the  conscience  ;  that  quickness  of  sense 
which  belongs  to  it  in  a  healthy  state  may  occasion  a  smart 
when  in  contact  with  real  evil,  and  alarm  the  soul  into  a  sense 
of  danger ;  but  a  diseased  conscience,  like  an  inflamed  eye,  will 
create  pain,  when  there  is  no  sin  to  occasion  it.  A  long  con- 
tinuation of  sore  and  perplexing  temptation  is  apt  to  bring  on 
such  a  state  of  conscience  as  friction  will  do,  when  continued 
for  any  length  of  time  upon  the  surface  of  the  flesh ;  —  it  will 
produce  irritation  and  inflammation  of  the  'part. 

I  have  conversed  with  many  persons  exactly  in  this  state  of 
mind,  and,  usually,  have  found  their  trouble  amounting  to  this  : 
An  impression  is  made  upon  the  conscience  that  some  things  are 
26=^ 


306  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

duties  which  the  judgment  contradicts;  or,  that  some  past  or 
present  actions,  with  regard  to  business,  habits,  conversation, 
dress,  &c.,  are  sinful,  while  reason  rejects  such  a  conclusion; 
but  a  dissatisfied  conscience  maintains  the  matter  in  a  state  of 
uncertainty.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  it  is  an  effort  of  the  devil 
to  raise  a  storm  where  there  should  be  a  calm. 

I  could  name  a  few  devices  of  the  enemy,  in  which,  if  he 
succeed,  he  gains  a  fearful  advantage  over  a  person  thus  circum- 
stanced :  I.  By  inducing  the  tempted  one  to  persist  in  conceal- 
ing the  trouble  within  his  own  bosom.  The  snare,  possibly, 
might  be  readily  broker^  were  the  case  divulged  to  a  faithful 
and  intelligent  friend.  This,  to  a  delicate  and  sensitive  mind,  is 
not,  in  some  cases,  an  easy  matter,  unless  it  find  another  heart 
"  in  union,  mutually  disclosed,"  and  in  which  may  be  reposed 
undoubting  confidence  ;  with  whom, 

' '  In  all  the  sweet  coincidence  of  thought, 
The  soul  holds  intercourse." 

Not  to  have  such  a  friend  is  an  evil ;  and,  such  is  the  deceptive 
nature  of  friendship,  in  this  world  of  ours,  that  most  people, 
before  they  arrive  at  twenty  years  of  age,  have  learned  to  act 
upon  that  advice  of  the  Scotch  poet : 

"  Aye  free,  affhand,  your  story  tell. 
When  wi'  a  bosom  crony  ; 
But  still  keep  something  to  yoursel, 
Ye  scarcely  tell  to  ony. 
Conceal  yoursel  as  weel  's  ye  can 
Frae  critical  dissection  ; 
But  keek  through  every  other  man, 
Wi'  sharpened  sly  inspection." 

It  is  a  pity,  however,  when  the  case  is  of  such  a  nature  as 
might  be  divulged,  even  to  a  "  common  friend,"  without  risk, 
that  the  perplexed  conscience  should  be  left  to  struggle  with  it 
in  secret  and  alone.  The  advantage,  in  such  a  case,  is  all  on 
the  devil's  side. 

2.  By  restraining  prayer.  God  in  Christ  is  our  friend. 
"  In  everything  by  prayer  and  supplication,  with  thanksgiving," 
says  the  apostle,  "  let  your  requests  be  made  known  unto  God  ; 


THE  CONVERT  UNDER  SORE  TEMPTATION.       307 

and  the  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  understanding,  shall  keep 
your  heart  and  minds,  through  Christ  Jesus.''  To  this  friend 
you  may  tell  all  that  is  in  your  heart,  without  fear  of  being 
betrayed.  The  apostle  says,  "  unto  God,''  because  there  may  be 
cases  which  it  would  be,  perhaps,  improper  to  divulge  to  a 
fellow-creature.  By  prayer  we  may  obtain  light,  strength,  or 
direction,  while  we  engage  God  in  our  behalf; — just  as  we 
gain  a  true  friend  to  espouse  our  cause,  when  we  make  him  our 
confidant.  Prayer  is  the  devil's  plague.  He  cares  not  a  straw 
for  your  reasoning,  if  you  will  but  keep  your  cause  from  God. 

3.  By  neglecting  the  Scriptures.  If  prayer  is  our  method 
of  opening  our  mind  to  our  heavenly  Father,  the  Bible  is  his 
method  of  opening  his  mind  to  us.  "  Therefore,"  said  the 
psalmist,  "  I  esteem  all  thy  precepts  concerning  all  things  to  be 
right.  I  love  thy  commandments  above  gold ;  yea,  above  fine 
gold."  The  word  of  God  is  "  the  sword  of  the  Spirit."  And 
"  if  you  fetch  this  sword  out  of  God's  armory,"  said  a  good  man 
to  another,  "  the  devil  will  run,  like  a  coward."  The  Leviathan, 
his  name-sake,  is  more  afraid  of  the  sword-fish,  I  have  heard, 
than  of  all  the  fish  of  the  ocean.  Jesus  Christ  gave  him  such  a 
wound  with  that  sword,  —  "  It  is  written,"  —  that  he  feels  it  to 
this  day.  Nepotian,  whose  heart  Jerome  named  Bibliothecam 
Christi,  Christ's  Library,  because  so  well  stored  with  Scripture, 
had  a  great  and  manifest  advantage  over  Satan,  when  compared 
with  less  favored  minds.  It  was  on  this  principle  that  Robert, 
king  of  Sicily,  said :  "  The  Holy  Books  are  dearer  to  me  than 
my  kingdom  ;  and,  were  I  under  any  necessity  of  quitting  one, 
it  should  be  my  diadem."  And  it  is  on  this  principle  the  devil 
will  try  every  method  to  keep  the  scrupulous  conscience  from 
obtaining  a  knowledge  of  those  particular  Scriptures  which 
would  set  it  right,  if  applied  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  a  few 
moments. 

4.  By  adopting  hasty  and  unjustifiable  7neasures  far  deliver- 
an£e.  Such  as,  1st.  Imprudent  vows.  These  afford  Satan  a 
fearful  advantage.  2nd.  Yielding  to  sin.  I  have  known  per- 
sons strongly  tempted  to  commit  sin,  supposing  positive  condem- 
ruLtion  to  be  more  tolerable  than  the  harassing  effects  of  uncer- 


308  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

tainty.  This  is  a  dreadful  alternative,  and  an  abominable 
device  of  Satan,  from  which  the  sincere  soul  should  recoil  with 
horror.     Better  say, 

"  Rather  I  would  in  darkness  mourn 
The  absence  of  thy  peace, 
Than  e'er  by  light  irreverence  turn 
Thy  grace  to  wantonness  ; 
Rather  I  would,  in  painful  awe, 
Beneath  thine  anger  move. 
Than  sin  against  the  Gospel  law 
Of  liberty  and  love," 

5.  By  indulging  a  fretting  and  repining  Spirit.  This 
weakens  the  soul,  and  grieves  the  Spirit  of  God.  John  Bunyan 
tells  us,  that,  yielding  to  impatience,  he  tempted  God  to  grant 
him  a  sign  of  the  truth  of  his  omniscience ;  that,  if  all  things 
were,  indeed,  known  to  him,  with  the  very  secrets  of  the  human 
heart,  he  would  prove  it,  by  removing  that  particular  thing  that 
afflicted  his  mind.  It  was  removed  suddenly,  but  a  worse 
temptation  arrived  immediately  in  its  place.  He  confesses  that, 
in  his  anxiety  to  get  clear  of  one  trouble,  he  did  not  deprecate 
or  pray  against  that  which  might  possibly  follow.  He  does  not 
tell  us  the  nature  of  this  second  messenger  of  Satan;  only,  that 
it  left  a  sting  in  his  conscience,  with  intolerable  bodily  anguish; 
and  that  he  considered  it  a  punishment  for  his  presumption. 
Perhaps  he  suffered  for  his  impatience  more  than  for  anything 
else. 

6.  By  reasoning  and  contending  with  the  devil,  and  a  iveak 
conscience,  with  a  dearth  both  of  faith  and  love  i?i  the  heart. 
This  places  the  soul  in  circumstances  most  disadvantageous.  A 
baptism  of  love  would  go  far  to  silence  the  devil ;  it  certainly 
would  heal  the  soul,  and  procure  its  triumph.  Satan  can  bear 
anything  better  than  to  see  a  Christian,  against  whom  he  is 
waging  war,  rejoicing  with  joy  uiispeakable,  in  the  midst  of  his 
fiercest  assaults.  When  such  an  event  takes  place,  he  usually 
leaves  the  field.  The  sooner,  therefore,  my  friend,  you  obtain 
such  a  baptism,  the  better.  Nothing  but  this  can  ever  heal  your 
diseased  conscience,  or  raise  you  above  the  particular  troubles 


THE  CONVERT  UNDER  SORE  TEMPTATION.       309 

which  have  so  painfully  annoyed  you.  "  Make  haste,  make 
haste  to  love,"  said  a  good  man  in  Spain,  to  one  of  a  scrupulous 
conscience,  "Make  haste  to  love;  and  the  scruples  will  fall 
away,  which  rise  but  from  a  fearful  heart ;  'for  perfect  love  casts 
out  fear.'"  I  have  always  admired  that  saying  of  the  Rev.  John 
Newton :  "  Love  and  fear  are  like  the  sun  and  moon,  seldom 
seen  together."  Love  is  what  you  want,  then,  —  perfect  love. 
This  will  not  only  "cast  out  all  fear  that  has  torment"  (1  John 
4 :  18),  but  it  will  impart  a  power  to  the  soul,  by  which  it  will 
be  enabled  to  render  a  cheerful  obedience  to  the  precepts  of  this 
royal  Gospel  law,  as  well  as  to  the  dictates  of  a  sound  au(i 
enlightened  conscience  : 

**  Inflame  our  hearts  with  perfect  love  ; 
In  us  the  work  of  faith  fulfil ; 
So  not  heaven's  host  shall  swifter  move 
Than  we  on  earth  to  do  thy  will." 

It  is  Archbishop  Leighton,  I  think,  who  defines  the  labor  of 
love  to  be  the  labor  of  rest ;  —  rest  even  in  the  motion  it  com- 
municates, because  such  motion  is  so  Tiatural  and  sweet  to  the 
soul  that  loves.  True  love  to  God,  he  says,  loves  the  labor  of 
love,  as  it  is  a  service  to  him  that  is  loved.  Love  has  its 
motions,  but  they  are  heavenly  and  circular;  —  still  in  God, 
beginning  and  ending  in  him ;  —  yet  not  ending,  but  moving  still 
without  weariness.  He  compares  the  motions  and  labor  of  love 
to  the  revolution  of  the  heavens,  which  is  motion  in  rest,  chang- 
ing not  place,  though  running  still. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE   INSUFFICIENCY    OF   INFIDELITY. 

Has  my  infidel  reader  never  read  the  story  of  one  AristoxenuSy 
the  musician  ?  So  great  was  his  admiration  of  his  profession 
that  he  defined  the  human  soul  to  be  nothing  more  than  a  harmony. 
You,  from  a  baser  motive^  love  of  sin,  define  your  soul  to  he  "  a 
part  and  parcel "  of  materialism. 

"  This  ardent  hope,  this  fond  desire, 
This  longing  after  immortality," 

I  consider  to  be  the  universal  feeling  of  our  race,  with  the 
exception  of  an  unfortunate  few,  —  those  to  whom,  by  a  wicked 
course  of  life,  immortality  has  been  rendered  undesirable.  Look 
at  the  inferior  animals ;  there  is  not  one  desire  in  their  nature 
for  which  a  benevolent  Creator  has  not  made  a  provision.  A 
desire  for  immortality  is  one  of  the  ^'- leading  passions"  of  man. 
Has  the  Author  of  our  being  left  this  wholly  unprovided  for  ? 

Do  you  think,  my  friend,  that  1  misunderstand  your  character  ? 
I  never  can  lose  sight  of  the  fact,  that  there  is  nothing  in  infidel- 
ity for  which  any  intelligent  man  would  seriously  contend  a 
single  moment,  unless  necessitated  to  do  so  by  irregular  morals. 

If  it  be  the  fact  that  you  desire  "  to  live  on  terms  of  amity 
with  vice,"  then,  in  order  to  sin  without  disturbance,  "  till  noth- 
ing moves  your  consistency  in  ill,"  the  readiest  way  is,  to 
"harden  your  heart  in  the  forge  of  bad  principles,"  and  school  it 
on  "  the  anvil  of  despair,"  till  it  bids  defiance  to  the  strokes  of 
conscience. 

I  feel  inclined  to  apply  to  your  lengthy  lucubrations  the 
sentiment  of  a  witty  individual :  "  The  burning  of  a  little  straw 
may  hide  the  stars  of  heaven,  but  the  stars  are  stfll  there,  and 


THE    INSUFFICIENCY    OF    INFIDELITY.  311 

will  presently  reappear."  Your  bundle  of  infidel  straw,  kindled 
by  a  spark  from  your  own  forge,  has,  indeed,  raised  considerable 
smoke;  and  it  aspires  and  spreads  along  the  heavens,  and 
threatens  to  cast  into  eternal  obscurity  every  sacred  star  of  truth. 
Lest  you  would  increase  your  sin  by  cavilling  at  the  declarations 
of  your  Maker  in  the  Bible,  I  shall  employ  "  the  dying  breath- 
ings "  of  one  of  your  repenting  brethren  to  blow  away  some  of 
the  -smoke.  May  God  make  his  sad  and  mournful  end  an 
eternal  blessing  to  you  !  The  thought  has  just  struck  me  that 
you  would  not  be  offended,  if  I  preface  it  with  the  following 
lines,  with  which  I  doubt  not  you  are  familiar  : 

"  Sure  'tis  a  serious  thing  to  die,  my  soul ! 
What  a  strange  moment  must  it  be,  when,  near 
Thy  journey's  end,  thou  hast  the  gulf  in  view! 
That  awful  gulf,  no  mortal  e'er  repassed, 
To  tell  what 's  doing  on  the  other  side. 
Nature  runs  back,  and  shudders  at  the  sight, 
And  every  life-string  bleeds  at  thought  of  parting  : 
For  part  they  must ;  body  and  soul  must  part ; 
Proud  couple !  linked  more  close  than  wedded  pair. 
This  wings  its  way  to  its  Almighty  Source, 
The  witness  of  its  actions,  — now  its  Judge  ; 
That  drops  into  the  dark  and  noisome  grave, 
Like  a  disabled  pitcher,  of  no  use." 

Upon  the  bed  of  his  last  sickness  lay  a  dying  sinner.  His 
character  may  be  best  learned  by  attending  to  his  bitter  com- 
plainings when  approaching  that  "  awful  gulf,"  from  whence  he 
never  returned :  "  My  physician  tells  me  I  must  die,  and  I  feel 
that  he  tells  me  the  truth.  In  my  best  hours,  and  in  my  worst, 
death  has  been  perpetually  upon  my  mind ;  it  has  covered  me 
like  a  dread  presence ;  weighed  me  down  like  an  ocean ;  blinded 
me  like  a  horrid  vision ;  imprisoned  my  faculties  as  with  bars 
and  gates  of  iron.  Often  and  often,  when,  in  saloons,  alive  with 
mirth  and  splendor,  I  have  seemed  the  gayest  of  the  inmates, 
this  thought  and /ear  of  death  have  shot  through  my  mind,  and 
I  have  turned  away  sick  and  shuddering.  What  is  it,  then,  to 
approach  the  reality  ?  to  feel  it  very  near,  —  nay,  close  at  hand  ? 
stealing  on,  and  on,  and  on,  like  the  tide  upon  the  shore,  not  to 


312  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

be  driven  back  till  it  has  engulfed  its  prey?  What  is  it  to 
apprehend  the  approach  of  the  time  when  you  must  be  a  naked, 
guilty,  trembling  spirit,  all  memory,  and  all  consciousness,  never 
again  for  a  single  moment  to  sleep,  or  know  oblivion  from  the 
crushing  burden  of  the  *  deeds  done  in  the  body '  ?  The  dying 
may,  indeed,  be  in  a  place  of  torment,  —  in  hell,  —  before  the 
time;  and  the  remembrance  of  past  life,  stripped  of  all  its 
deceptions,  shrivelled  into  insignificance,  may  appear,  in  con- 
nection with  eternity,  but  as  a  tiny  shell  tossed  on  the  broad 
black  surface  of  an  ocean ;  then,  again,  the  intense  importance 
of  that  very  insignificant  fragment  of  time,  and  the  intense 
remembrance  of  all  that  occupied  it;  — its  schemes,  and  dreams, 
and  sins,  and  vanities,  sweeping  across  the  mind,  in  solemn 
order,  like  a  procession  of  grim  shadows,  with  death  waiting  to 
embosom  all.  0 !  well  may  I  smite  upon  my  breast,  and  cry, 
with  all  but  despair :  '  Woe  is  me  for  the  past !  woe,  woe,  for 
the  past! '  Every  dream  is  dissolved,  —  every  refuge  of  lies  is 
plucked  from  me,  —  every  human  consolation  totters  beneath 
me,  like  a  bowing  wall ;  and  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and 
all  the  glory  of  them,  could  Twt  bribe  from  my  soul  the  remerri' 
brance  of  a  single  sin.  Ambition,  pleasure,  fame,  friendship,  lie 
around  like  wrecks ;  and  my  soul  is  helpless  in  the  midst  of  them, 
like  the  mariner  on  his  wave-worn  rock." 

The  above  is  all  that  I  feel  inclined  to  oppose,  at  present,  to 
your  theories.  To  me  it  is  awfully  conclusive.  You  may  smile  at 
my  weakness,  but  I  never  felt  a  stronger  determination  in  all  my 
life  to  live  — if  it  were  for  no  other  regard  than  my  death-bed 
scene  —  a  holy  and  a  blameless  life.  What  has  been  one  man's 
case  may  be  mine,  — yours.  That  which  caused  a  capacious 
mind  —  a  man  of  such  splendid  talents  and  acquirements  —  to 
tremble  and  be  dismayed,  may  afiect  both  you  and  myself, 
though  of  far  inferior  talents,  if  unprepared.  O,  sir,  think  of 
these  things  in  time  !  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God  !  "  Sure,  it  is 
a  solemn  thing  to  die,  my  soul."  The  dying  man  spoke  of  the 
thought  and  fear  of  death  having  darted  across  his  mind  in  the 
gayest  assemblies;  that  they  followed  him  everywhere,  and 
attended  him  as  a  presence,  in  his  best  and  worst  hours.     Has 


THE    INSUFFICIENCY    OF    INFIDELITY.  313 

not  every  sinner  living  something  of  this  apprehension,  more  or 
less  ?  Are  you  never  annoyed  with  anything  of  the  kind  ?  If 
not  just  now,  have  there  been  no  such  visitations  in  past  life ; 
no  such  secret,  unaccountable  intrusions,  which  have  thrown 
their  shadows  across  your  soul,  and  awakened  feelings  which 
you  could  not  allay,  —  created  an  uneasiness  which  has  not 
easily  subsided  ?  "  Man,  know  thyself;  "  —  an  accomplishment 
this,  quite  as  necessary  for  you  as  for  the  heathen  who  had  it 
inscribed  over  the  door  of  his  temple. 

You  put  me  in  mind  of  a  spider,  running  up  and  down,  hither 
and  thither,  with  a  little  thread;  wasting  its  own  body,  and 
wearing  out  its  vitals,  to  make  a  curious  web.  No  sooner  is  it 
finished,  than  the  besom,  with  one  wild  sweep,  destroys  the  gay 
and  airy  fabric,  and  often,  along  with  it,  the  unfortunate  spider. 
Your  web  of  sophistry  will  one  day  be  torn  to  pieces,  either  by 
the  besom  of  truth,  wielded  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  or  by  death, 
the  most  emphatic  and  conclusive  of  all  preachers.  Job  8 :  14  is 
worth  your  attention ;  gftid  the  effects  of  your  principles  are  very 
strikingly  noticed  in  Isaiah  59  :  4,  5. 

All  you  have  written  only  goes  to  prove  the  truth  of  the 
testimony  of  one  now  v/ith  God,  who,  in  his  day,  looked  closely 
into  your  principles.  "  Infidelity  grounds  its  existence  on  the 
fancied  cheats  it  discovers  in  religious  creeds,  without  having 
one  original  virtue  to  entitle  it  to  respect.  It  is  a  system  of  nega- 
tives, —  if  system  that  may  be  called,  whose  only  boast  is,  that  it 
discovers  errors  in  revelation,  and  hence  assumes  a  title  to  credit, 
by  instructing  its  votaries  to  disbelieve.  Under  the  influence  of 
this  pure  negation  of  excellence,  it  promotes  its  interests  by  the 
irritation  of  those  passions  which  it  should  be  the  business  of 
our  lives  to  subdue,  and  fortifies  itself  in  those  strange  commo- 
tions which  it  contributes  to  raise." 

There  is  a  pretty  and  poetic  sentimentalism  in  your  views  of 
death.  Had  you  flourished  in  the  days  of  a  certain  old  poet,  I 
fear  his  rude  grapples  would  have  disturbed  your  ideas.  I 
question  now  whether  your  flowers  can  bear  the  following, 
although  little  more  than  half  a  blast  : 
27 


314  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

**  Strange  to  tell, 
Bold  sinners  rant  it  all  the  way  to  hell ; 
Like  fish  that  play  in  Jordan's  silver  stream, 
They  bathe  in  sensual  lusts,  and  never  dream 
Of  that  dead  sea  to  which  the  stream  doth  tend, 
And  to  their  pleasure  puts  a  fatal  end !  " 

I  admit  that  real  repentance  may  not  visit  the  death-beds  of 
your  characters ;  but  I  cannot  allow  you  to  say,  without  contra- 
diction, that  remorse  and  terror  never  pay  such  a  visit  in  their 
last  hours.  There  is  no  necessity  to  go  back  to  hardened  Nero, 
who  cried  out,  in  desperation,  "  Have  I  no  friend  nor  enemy  to 
rid  me  out  of  my  pain  ?  "  Nor  to  Julian  the  Apostate,  who  is 
reported  to  have  taken  into  his  hand  some  of  his  own  blood,  and 
flung  it  into  the  air,  exclaiming,  "  Thou  hast  conquered  me,  oh 
Galilean !  "  —  meaning  Jesus  Christ.  The  conduct  of  pagan 
bravadoes  in  extremity,  given  by  a  heathen  writer,  is  quite 
illustrative  of  that  of  your  modern  infidel  heroes,  in  the  hour  of 
death.  Hear  the  testimony  of  this  heathen :  "  When  the  Grecian 
forces  hotly  pursued  us,  and  we  must  needs  venture  over  the 
great  water  Strymon,  frozen  then,  but  beginning  to  thaw,  when 
a  hundred  to  one  we  had  all  died  for  it ;  with  mine  own  eyes  I 
saw  many  of  those  gallants,  whom  I  had  heard  before  so  boldly 
maintain  there  was  no  God,  every  one  upon  their  knees,  with 
eyes  and  hands  lifted  up,  begging  for  help  and  mercy,  and 
entreating  that  the  ice  might  hold  till  they  got  over."  It  is  not 
to  be  denied  that  some  of  your  sort  die  in  a  calm ;  but  it  only 
goes  to  prove  that  sentiment,  "Their  hope  shall  be  as  the 
giving  up  of  the  ghost."  Job  9  :  20.  "  They  retain  their  hope 
to  the  last,"  says  a  commentator,  "  and  the  last  breath  they 
breathe  is  the  final  and  eternal  termination  of  their  hope.  They 
give  up  their  hope  and  their  life  together." 

Conversing  one  day  with  a  missionary  in  Quebec,  he  told  me 
the  following  well-attested  fact :  In  a  tavern,  a  number  of  men 
were  standing,  talking  upon  various  subjects,  among  whom  was 
an  infidel  of  the  foulest  character.  A  gentleman  of  his  acquaint- 
ance, turning  to  him,  said,  "  I  have  heard,  sir,  that  you  deny  the 
existence  of  a  God,  of  a  devil,  and  of  a  hell.     Is  it  so?"     The 


THB    INSUFFICIENCY    OF    INFIDELITY.  315 

man  replied,  "  I  believe  there  is  a  place  of  rest,  and  that  place  is 
the  grave ;  but  no  man,  while  I  live,  shall  ever  persuade  me 
there  is  a  hell."  These  words  had  scarcely  passed  his  lips  when 
his  head  dropped,  and,  reclining  upon  the  shoulders  of  one  of  his 
companions,  all  was  silent !  When  they  laid  hold  of  him,  he 
was  a  corpse ! 

The  dying  hours  of  a  certain  great  poet  of  the  present  century 
would  seem  to  make  in  your  favor;  though  it  evidently  appears 
he  was  on  the  point  of  yielding.  A  little  before  death,  he  asked, 
with  deep  emotion,  "  Shall  I  sue  for  mercy  ?  "  A  few  minutes 
after,  he  mustered  fortitude  to  exclaim,  "Come,  come,  —  I  must 
resume  my  bravery,  and  die  like  a  man  !  "  To  these  instances 
may  be  opposed  the  testimony  of  another.  His  wife,  seeing  him 
in  great  distress,  said,  "  My  dear,  you  appear  as  if  your  heart 
were  breaking."  He  replied,  "Let  it  break;  let  it  break;  but 
it  is  hard  work  to  die ;  "  and  added,  with  a  piercing  look,  "  Lord, 
have  mercy  !  Jesus,  save  !  "  and  expired. 

On  the  bed  of  his  last  illness  lay  one  of  your  brethren,  in  a 
certain  town.  The  door  opened,  and  a  companion  who  had  first 
led  him  into  the  path  of  vice  entered.  The  dying  infidel,  recov- 
ering himself  for  a  moment,  recognized  him  with  a  bitter  smile, 
saying,  "  Behold  thy  work ;  thou  hast  done  this !  "  The  wretch 
approached,  and  began  to  pour  into  his  ear  his  sophistical  argu- 
ments. Whatever  effect  they  might  have  had  upon  the  man  in 
health,  they  had  lost  all  their  efficacy  upon  him,  in  this  awful 
hour.  Turning  a  face  pale  with  rage,  he  cried,  "  Leave  me ! 
begone  !  you  have  poisoned  my  existence ;  you  have  directed 
my  soul  to  hell ;  and  dare  you,  in  this  hour,  torture  your 
victim?"  The  man  slunk  away  rebuked,  and  left  the  room, 
perhaps,  in  his  turn,  to  die  the  same  miserable  death.  The  poor 
infidel  raved,  swore,  and  blasphemed,  till  the  nurse,  unable  to 
bear  the  horrible  scene,  fled,  and  left  him  to  die  alone. 

The  sullen  silence  of  a  death-bed  is  a  poor  argument  for  the 
triumphs  of  infidelity.  It  is  not  till  such  men  are  past  speaking 
that  their  terrors,  perhaps,  begin.  Some  years  ago,  a  bad  man 
fell  into  a  certain  river;  he  was  not  permitted  to  remain  there 
till  the  "vital  spark"  had  fled,  but  was  with  difficulty  restored 


316  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

to  consciousness.  He  was  asked  what  his  feelings  were  when 
drowning.  "  The  most  horrible,"  said  he,  "  you  can  conceive. 
All  the  sins  I  ever  committed  rushed  at  once  into  my  mind,  and 
conscience  portrayed  the  whole  to  me  ;  yea,  I  beheld  the  flames 
of  hell  kindled  before  me." 

Before  I  sailed  for  this  country,  when  in  the  State  of  Massa- 
chusetts, a  man  of  God,  in  whose  veracity  I  had  the  most  per- 
fect confidence,  related  to  me  an  account  of  a  couple  of  deaths 
which  had  taken  place.  The  first  had  carried  out  your  princi- 
ples to  their  true  results.  •"  I  often  conversed  with  him,"  said 
my  friend,  "  and  urged  him  to  renounce  his  infidelity.  The  last 
time  I  saw  him,  he  got  very  angry : 

'As  if  the  iegion-fiend  his  soul  possessed, 
And  a  whole  hell  were  worrying  in  his  breast ; 
And  frenzy  fired  the  bold  blasphemer's  cheek, 
He  looked  the  curses  which  he  could  not  speak.'" 

"  Were  it  not,"  said  he,  "  that  you  are  an  old  man,  I  would 
certainly  horsewhip  you."  "  I  am  glad,"  answered  my  friend, 
"  that  anything  saves  me  from  your  vengeance ;  but  hear  me." 
He  grew  worse  and  worse,  till  God  could  apparently  restrain  his 
wrath  no  longer.  He  was  struck  with  death  at  an  unexpected 
hour.  His  agony  of  mind  was  greater  than  that  of  his  body. 
He  felt  himself  cited  to  appear  before  the  eternal  Judge.  His 
diseased  body  could  not  live,  but  his  disconsolate  soul  under- 
stood too  well  the  risk  of  dying.  His  refuges  of  lies  failed  him, 
under  the  convincing  arguments  of  death.  Finding  death  un- 
avoidable, he  hastened  to  be  away.  It  is  not  for  me  to  say 
whether,  even  then,  the  Spirit  of  God  was  still  not  striving  to 
the  uttermost ;  but  you  know,  sir,  it  is  possible  for  a  man 

''  To  feel  his  heart  can  bleed,  yet  not  repent ; 
To  sigh,  yet  not  recede  ;  to  grieve,  yet  not  relent." 

Terror  and  distraction  increased  to  such  a  degree  that  he 
entreated  his  physician  to  kill  him.  Receiving,  of  course,  a 
prompt  refusal,  he  turned  to  some  of  his  neighbors,  beseeching 
them  to  despatch  him.     But  he  died ! 


THE   INSUFFICIENCY    OF   INFIDELITY,  317 

The  second  case  was  that  of  a  surgeon,  a  man  of  talents.  He 
had  not,  it  seems,  the  cold  privilege  allowed  such  a  character  by 
a  poet : 

"  He  that  will  be  cheated  to  the  last, 
Delusions,  strong  as  hell,  shall  bind  him  fast." 

That  guilt,  which  had  stood  its  ground  so  long  against  the 
threatenings  of  God,  was  arrested  suddenly  by  death  ;  and,  with 
very  little  warning,  he  found  himself  on  the  very  verge  of  time, 
just  on  the  point  of  appearing  before  his  justly-offended  Maker. 
The  frequent  gleams  of  remorse  —  transient,  it  is  true  —  which  he 
had  experienced  when  in  health,  had  now  kindled  into  a  flame 
of  mental  agony.  He  had  by  some  means  arrived  at  a  certainty 
that  he  must  not  entertain  any  other  prospect  than  that  of  spend- 
ing an  eternity  in  hell.  The  scene  was  one  which  cannot  be 
described.  Visiters  fled  in  terror  from  his  room.  Only  one 
wicked  Universalist  had  the  courage  to  remain  with  him.  But 
he  could  not,  after  the  surgeon's  death,  be  persuaded  to  relate 
the  terrific  utterances  connected  with  his  last  breathings. 

Ah !  sir,  your  principles  should  yield  you  much  advantage, 
with  a  great  deal  of  comfort  through  life  ;  for  I  assure  you  there 
is  nothing  in  them  to  afford  you  consolation  in  a  dying  hour. 

That  was  a  true  saying  of  an  old  divine,  that  God  was  longer 
in  destroying  Jericho  than  creating  a  world.  When  Adam  and 
Eve  had  sinned,  it  was  not  before  the  cool  of  the  evening  that 
the  voice  of  the  Lord  God  was  heard  in  the  garden.  But  it  was 
the  voice  of  God  "walking,"  not  running,  affording,  even  then, 
an  illustration  of  those  attributes  of  his  nature,  "  Merciful,  gra- 
cious, long-suffering,  and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth ;  keep- 
ing mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity,  and  transgression, 
and  sin."  An  old  writer  has  somewhere  said  that  "Justice 
pursues  the  enemies  of  God  vvith  leaden  wings,  but  that  it  will 
lay  hold  of  them  sooner  or  later  with  hands  of  iron." 

A  few  years  ago,  in  the  winter,  a  large  sleigh-stage  started 
with  twelve  persons  from  Hoboken,  opposite  New  York,  for  the 
city  of  Albany,  on  the  Hudson  river.  Among  the  passengers 
was  a  most  interesting  young  lady,  deeply  devoted  to  God,  on 


318  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

her  way  to  be  married  to  a  missionary  in  Persia.  There  were 
also  an  elderly  gentleman,  from  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  a  young 
man ;  but  all  strangers  to  each  other. 

Sleigh-riding,  in  that  country,  is  a  very  pleasant  and  animated 
method  of  travelling.  All  were  in  a  pleasant  mood,  enjoying  the 
scenery.  Passing  through  several  towns  and  small  villages,  it 
was  remarked,  "  What  an  aspect  of  comfort  and  respectability  is 
evident  in  places  which  are  graced  by  the  spire  of  a  church !  " 
The  elderly  person  alluded  to  said  that  he  had  travelled  and 
seen  much  in  his  time,  but  he  would  give  it  as  a  fruit  of  his 
observation,  "  Wherever  there  was  a  church,  and  stated  minis- 
ter, the  people  five  or  six  miles  round  were  more  orderly,  sober, 
and  circumspect,  than  were  those  who  did  not  enjoy  such  a 
privilege." 

This  brought  the  young  whiskered  gentleman  fully  out.  He 
was  just  returning  from  college,  where  he  had  been  preparing 
for  one  of  the  learned  professions.  As  the  old  friend  had  in- 
truded religion,  he  would  give  his  opinion.  "  Priestcraft,  witch- 
craft, and  all  the  crafty  doctrines  of  Christianity,"  said  he,  "  were 
only  devised  to  scare  the  ignorant.  The  laws  of  Lycurgus  are 
far  superior  to  those  of  Moses.  There  is  nothing  to  be  feared 
from  death ;  at  the  most,  it  is  nothing  more  than  a  leap  in  the 
dark." 

"The  weather  set  in  very  bad,  with  rain  in  abundance,  during 
several  hours.  At  every  tavern,  while  the  horses  drank  water, 
the  driver  helped  himself  to  rum.  The  winter  road  led  them 
unto  the  bosom  of  the  Hudson,  covered  with  ice ;  and  when  upon 
its  surface,  they  discovered  their  danger.  Late  rains  had  affected 
the  ice,  and  the  horses  were  up  to  their  knees  in  snow  and  water. 
A  deep  and  powerful  river  ran  beneath  them,  with  bold  and 
craggy  shores  on  either  hand.  A  heavy  snow-storm  came  on ; 
the  risk  of  plunging  into  air-holes  was  evident  to  all.  The 
heads  of  the  horses  could  scarcely  be  seen  through  the  storm ; 
and  the  man  of  the  whip  drove  on,  declaring  he  neither  feared 
death  nor  the  devil. 

All  felt,  should  the  ice  give  way  (and~  it  was  becoming  worse 
and  worse),  their  destruction  was  inevitable. 


THE    INSUFFICIENCY    OF    INFIDELITY.  319 

The  distress  of  the  young  infidel  was  not  to  be  concealed. 
He  trembled  from  head  to  foot,  but  was  silent. 

The  young  lady  appeared  pale  and  thoughtful,  as  she  opened 
a  small  travelling-basket,  and  took  out  a  little  red  book,  turned 
over  a  few  pages,  and  fixed  her  eye  upon  a  passage.  After  a  few 
moments,  she  closed  the  book,  and  shut  her  eyes.  "  The  secret 
of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  him."  The  paleness  dis- 
appeared from  her  cheek,  and  a  glow  of  heavenly  peace  and  con- 
fidence suffused  her  beautiful  countenance. 

God  was  gracious  to  them ;  and,  as  they  proceeded  up  the 
river,  a  way  of  escape  from  their  peril  opened.  While  chang- 
ing horses  at  the  hotel,  one  of  the  party  asked  her,  very  politely, 
but  with  an  interest  she  appreciated,  what  it  was  she  found  in 
the  little  book  which  seemed  to  have  such  a  happy  effect  upon 
her  mind.  "  The  book,  sir,"  said  she,  "  is  named  '  Daily  Food 
for  Christians ; '  being  a  text  for  every  day  in  the  year.  The 
one  which  gave  me  so  much  comfort  was  the  text  for  this  day : 
*'  As  the  mountains  are  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  the  Lord  is 
round  about  his  people,  from  henceforth,  even  forever.''^  Ps. 
125 :  2. 

We  may  say  of  the  infidel,  and  all  who  travel  in  the  paths  of 
wickedness,  "  The  way  of  transgressors  is  hard."  None  who 
have  ever  faithfully  walked  in  those  of  righteousness  have  found 
them  contrary  to  that  other  declaration  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  "Her 
ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness,  and  all  her  paths  are  peace." 

"  He  that  has  light  within  his  own  clear  breast 
May  in  the  centre  sit,  and  see  bright  day  ; 
But  he  that  hides  a  dark  soul,  and  foul  thoughts, 
Benighted  walks,  under  the  mid-day  sun  ; 
Himself  is  his  own  dungeon !  " 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

INFIDELITY  AND   FAITH    CONTRASTED. 

Doubtless  you  have  read  Ephesians  1 :  18,  —  "  The  eyes  of 
your  understanding  being  enlightened."  This  implies  that  the 
mind  has  a  looking  faculty,  as  well  as  the  body ;  and  that  our 
Creator  has  provided  light  as  admirably  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the 
mental  eyes,  as  natural  light  for  those  of  the  body.  The  Ephesians, 
it  appears,  had  been  blind.  Total  darkness  renders  the  eyes  use- 
less, while  it  continues.  St.  John  speaks  of  a  sinner  walking  in 
darkness,  not  knowing  whither  he  is  going,  "  because  the  dark- 
ness hath  blinded  his  eyes."  Now,  a  man  may  close  his  eyes 
against  the  light,  and  place  himself  in  circumstances  as  if  sur- 
rounded by  darkness,  or  he  may  destroy  them  altogether.  I 
have  read  of  an  old  philosopher,  who  put  out  his  own  eyes  that 
he  might  not  be  disturbed  by  light.  Would  it  not  have  been 
very  irrational,  had  that  man  denied  the  existence  of  light,  and 
affirmed  that  those  objects  said  to  be  discernible  through  such 
a  medium  were  all  imaginary  ?  Suppose  he  had  been  present 
at  a  lecture,  in  which  the  sun,  moon,  earth,  sea,  and  colors,  were 
the  subjects  of  discussion ;  but,  on  returning  home,  should  enter- 
tain his  friends  with  the  absurdities  of  the  lecturer,  showing  all 
to  have  been  nothing  more  than  a  mere  tissue  of  falsehood, — that 
such  things  had  no  other  existence  than  as  the  brain-creations 
of  him  who  desired  to  secure  their  money.  "  I  can  only  believe 
what  I  see,"  he  might  say,  "  and,  therefore,  it  is  all  fabulous." 
Which  would  his  hearers  say  he  had  flung  away  from  him,  his 
philosophy,  or  his  reason  ?  "  Both,"  you  will  reply.  Are  you 
not  aware,  my  dear  sir,  that  this  is  the  ridiculous  position  in 
which  you  have  placed  yourself?  By  a  sophistry  peculiarly 
infidel,  you  have  either  put  out  your  mental  eyes,  or  closed  them 
so  firmly  that  the  light  of  truth  shines  no  more  into  your  soul ; 


INFIDELITY    AND    FAITH    CONTRASTED.  321 

or,  you  have  let  the  devil  do  it  for  you ;  2  Cor.  4 :  3,  4.  But,  is 
it  rational  in  you  to  deny  that  the  light  of  truth  is  still  in 
existence,  or  assert  that  those  subjects  made  evident  to  the 
mental  vision  by  faitli's  "  realizing  light "  are  as  "  unsubstantial 
as  a  dream  "  ? 

Had  the  old  philosopher  insisted  that  all  other  persons  were 
blind,  because  he  had  chosen  to  make  himself  so,  would  men 
favored  with  sight  have  believed  him  ?  You  have  read  of  foolish 
Harpaste,  spoken  of  by  Seneca,  who,  insensible  of  her  own  blind- 
ness, always  complained  that  the  sun  was  down,  and  the  house 
dark ;  but  who,  in  daylight  and  sunshine,  could  have  believed 
Harpaste  ?  It  is  thus  that  infidels  now  talk ;  and  shall  those 
who  live  under  the  full  blaze  of  Gospel  day  believe  them  ? 

"Infidelity,  grown  bold  with  joy, 
Forth  from  his  dark  and  lonely  hiding-place, 
Owl-like  comes  forth,  sailing  on  obscene  wings 
Athwart  the  noon,  and  drops  his  blue-fringed  eyelids, 
And  holds  them  close,  and,  hooting  at  the  sun, 
High  in  mid-heaven,  cries  out,  'Where  is  it?'  " 

To  revert  again  to  the  philosopher  :  admit  that  he  and  Madam 
Harpaste  had  been  once  familiar  with  light,  and  all  the  delight- 
ful varieties  of  visible  things,  which  was  really  the  case,  —  they 
must  have  become  the  veriest  dupes  in  the  world,  had  they 
affirmed  that  light  was  fabulous,  and  all  the  glowing  descriptions 
given  of  the  beauties  of  our  world  the  "  visionary  creations  of 
heated  enthusiasts."  Though  the  philosopher  was  much  to 
blame  for  destroying  his  eyes,  because  light  annoyed  him,  I  shall 
not  insult  his  memory  by  bringing  this  unfounded  charge  against 
his  understanding.  There  is,  however,  no  unmerited  contempt 
offered  to  your  character;  nor  am  I  preferring  a  false  charge 
against  your  judgment,  when  I  assert  its  applicability  to  you  in 
matters  of  religion.  Once  you  were  as  familiar  with  the  lio-ht 
of  the  Gospel  as  with  that  of  day,  nor  were  you  any  less  certain 
of  things  invisible  than  of  those  magnificent  aspects  and  pleasino- 
features  of  the  spacious  landscape  spread  around  your  dwellino- 
by  the  hand  of  your  Creator.  Now  that  "  the  light  has  become 
darkness,"  and  that  invisible  world  a  blank  (only  to  yourself. 


322  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

observe,  for  others  see  and  believe),  allow  me  to  say  how  greatly 
it  affects  me,  to  perceive  you  either  the  dupe  of  your  own  imposi- 
tions, having  permitted  the  devil  to  swindle  you  out  of  principles 
which  were  at  once  your  honor  and  your 'wealth,  or  basely  act- 
ing the  hypocrite,  in  denying  the  existence  of  those  things  you 
once  believed,  and  which  your  secret  conscience  may  whisper 
still  exist.  The  feeling  is  deepened  by  the  probability  that  the 
last  conclusion  is  the  correct  one,  —  that  the  impression  of  their 
reality  has  not  as  yet  entirely  faded  from  your  mind.  What 
was  said  of  another  soi-disant  infidel,  not  improbably  may  apply 
to  you : 

"  He  almost  thinks  he  disbelieves,  indeed, 
But  only  thinks  so  ;  to  give  both  their  due, 
Satan  and  he  believe  and  tremble  too." 

As  you  have  closed  your  eyes,  beware  lest  your  doings  are 
against  the  Lord,  to  provoke  the  eyes  of  his  glory,  Is.  3 :  8 ;  and 
lest  that  should  come  upon  you  which  he  has  threatened  in 
Ezekiel  5:  11.  Upon  the  bed  of  his  last  sickness  lay  one  of 
your  brethren  in  infidelity ;  he  was  asked  a  question,  to  which 
his  countenance  replied,  before  he  had  uttered  a  word :  "  Are 
your  principles  sufficient  to  sustain  you  in  this  trying  hour  ? " 
He  answered,  sternly,  "  No ; "  and,  after  a  pause,  unable  to 
restrain  his  feeling,  he  exclaimed,  "  Surely  I  am  the  greatest 
fool  in  the  world  to  have  become  the  dupe  of  wicked  and  design- 
ing men ;  I  am  justly  consigned  to  that  hell,  the  idea  of  which  I 
once  laughed  at."  Offers  of  pardon  through  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb  were  freely  presented,  but  sadly  and  sullenly  put  away. 
He  heard  the'  exhortation  with  patience,  till  "penitent  sinner" 
was  mentioned;  when  he  cried,  "Penitent  sinner  I  I  am  not 
penitent.  It  is  the  fear  of  eternal  damnation  that  is  at  work 
upon  my  guilty  soul ;  this  is  nothing  else  but  a  pledge  and  fore- 
taste of  the  misery  of  the  damned.  Eternal  fire !  eternal  fire  ! 
who  can  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings  ?  My  body  cannot 
live,  and  my  soul  dare  not  die.  0  that  I  had  another  day !  but 
this  would  be  of  no  use ;  I  must  perish,  and  reconcile  myself  to 
my  lot  as  I  can ;  I  am  dying !  I  am  dying !  "    A  second  attempt 


INFIDELITY    AND    FAITH    CONTRASTED.  323 

was  made  to  turn  his  despairing  conscience  to  the  cross,  which 
he  heard  with  more  than  usual  patience.  When  the  individual 
ceased,  he  became  very  restless,  and  at  last  shrieked  fearfully, 
crying,  "  See  !  see  !  do  you  not  see  them  ?  They  are  come  for 
me.  I  must  go  to  my  own  place."  The  horror  on  his  counte- 
nance was  infernal.  His  last  words  were,  "  Damned,  damned, 
forever  damned ! " 

You  say,  "  Christianity  is  a  fable ;  "  have  you  ever  read  of 
any  faithful  believer  dying  thus  ?  Surely  were  it  for  nothing 
else  than  to  avoid  the  terrors  of  a  death-bed,  the  comfortless  and 
dangerous  system  of  infidelity  should  be  abandoned. 


'  CHAPTER  XIII. 

INFIDELS    NOT    SINCERE. 

My  persuasion  is  deepened,  as  I  become  acquainted  with 
infidels,  that  there  are  few  of  them  honest  in  the  sentiments 
they  pretend  to  entertain.  A  wicked  course  of  life  necessitates 
most  infidels  to  espouse  and  contend  for  such  principles.  The 
following  is  a  correct  illustration  of  your  position,  as  well  as  of 
many  others :  Two  gentlemen,  infidels,  often  held  free  conver- 
sation before  an  illiterate  countryman.  One  of  them  was  after- 
wards converted  to  God.  Fearing  that  injury  had  been  done  to 
the  poor  man,  he,  on  a  proper  occasion,  expressed  a  concern  on 
the  subject  in  his  presence,  and  inquired  whether  their  opinions 
had  left  any  bad  impression  upon  his  mind.  "  By  no  means," 
said  the  peasant,  "  it  never  had  any  effect  upon  me."  "  But 
you  must  have  known  that  we  knew  more  than  you ;  having 
better  opportunities  both  for  reading  and  thinking."  "  Yes," 
he  rejoined,  "but  I  was  aware  of  your  manner  of  living.  I 
knew  that,  to  maintain  such  a  course  of  conduct,  you  found  it 
necessary  to  renounce  Christianity." 

"Were  it  not  for  this,  no  rational  mind  could  find  anything 
charming  in  infidelity.  It  denies  everything,  but  what  does  it 
affirm  ?  and  what  but  a  vicious  mind  could  find  pleasure  in  a 
system  of  negatives  ?  There  is  not  a  moral  light  under  heaven 
that  it  does  not  attempt  to  extinguish.  If  successful  in  blowing 
it  out,  nothing  but  a  blank  is  offered  instead,  and  a  fatal  neces- 
sity of  stumbling  onward  into  deeper  darkness.  "  If  your  system 
be  true,"  said  one  to  an  in^del,  "  you  have  a  bleak  and  comfort- 
less lot ;  but  if  false,  forever  miserable  is  your  fate,  because  you 
are  making  no  preparation  for  it." 

It  is  easy  and  pleasant  to  reason  with  a  mind  sincerely  search- 
ing for  truth,  and  willing  to  abide  by  it  when  found.     But  it  is 


INFIDELS  NOT  SINCERE.  325 

a  difficult  aflfair  to  break  down  a  conscience  embarrassed  in  its 
operations  by  passions  enslaved  to  vice. 

"Against  experience  he  believes, 
Argues  against  demonstration  ; 
Pleased  when  his  reason  he  deceives, 
And  sets  his  judgment  by  his  passion." 

So  true  is  the  old  proverb,  "  Men  readily  believe  what  they 
wish  to  be  true." 

A  few  weeks  ago,  when  in  Limerick,  I  was  conversing  with 
the  captain  of  a  ship  in  port  on  the  peculiarities  of  the  mariner's 
compass.  Speaking  of  its  variations,  he  told  me  that  difficulties 
frequently  occur  when  sailing  through  a  certain  gulf,  in  conse- 
quence of  vast  masses  of  iron  ore  in  the  neighboring  moun- 
tains. So  intense  is  the  magnetic  action  from  that  source,  that 
the  needle  is  often  drawn  one  or  two  points  from  the  truth. 
"  Should  the  helmsman,"  he  added,  "  allow  himself,  under  such 
circumstances,  to  be  guided  by  its  dictates,  it  would  bring  him 
to  the  rocks  of  shipwreck.  I  have  known  the  influence  so  pow- 
erful, when  the  wind  was  in  a  certain  direction,  that  I  have  had 
to  put  my  finger  within  the  box,  and  shake  the  card,  before  the 
needle  could  be  freed  from  the  embarrassment ;  then  it  came 
round  to  the  true  point,  and  stood  and  trembled  there." 

Shall  I  assist  you  in  making  the  application  ?  Your  vicious 
habits  and  gusts  of  temptation  conspire  to  derange  the  opera- 
tions of  your  mind,  and  perplex  your  conscience.  Thus  situated, 
reason  must  not  steer  by  these,  unless  you  desire  to  strike  the 
rocks  of  eternal  destruction.  The  error  of  a  sinner's  ways, 
James  5:  20,  and  his  belching  out  error  in  sentiment,  are 
closely  united.  Working  iniquity,  speaking  villany,  practising 
hypocrisy,  and  uttering  error  in  doctrine  against  the  Lord,  are 
singularly  interwoven  in  Isaiah  32 :  6. 

Your  vices,  unlike  those  mountains  of  iron  ore,  may  be  easily 
removed ;  then  shall  your  mind  and  conscience  harmonize  with 
your  chart,  the  Bible ;  and  reason  safely  steer  by  the  divine 
dictates.  Ln  such  a  case,  were  I  allowed  to  be  the  pilot,  there 
would  be  little  difficulty  in  keeping  your  opinions  in  the  proper 
28 


326  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

course,  till  conducted  into  a  safe  anchorage  in  the  harbor  of 
redeeming  love.  Until  you  are  willing  to  abandon  those  scenes 
and  persons  connected  with  your  sinful  course,  it  is  useless  for 
me  to  continue  a  controversy  with  you  upon  such  subjects. 

"  A  man  convinced  against  his  will, 
Is  of  the  same  opinion  still." 

So  long  as  your  soul  is  debasingly  attached  to  those  habits  to 
which  you  refer,  my  argument  might,  indeed,  disturb  you  a  little, 
as  the  captain's  finger  the  card  of  the  compass,  and  no  more. 
Without  a  continual  shaking,  the  influence  of  those  ^'■local  causes" 
would,  I  greatly  fear,  prove  the  truth  of  that  mournful  senti- 
ment, 

"Experience  hut  too  plainly  shows 
That  man  can  act  against  the  truth  he  knows." 

The  hell  awaiting  you  is  terrible,  if  you,  persevere  in  your 
present  wicked  and  inconsistent  course. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

INFIDEL    OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED. 

In  two  respects,  I  perceive,  the  infidels  in  Europe  resemble 
those  in  America :  1st.  Rejecting  everything.  2nd.  Affirming 
nothing.  You  consider  Christianity  false,  but  you  seem  quite 
unable  to  give  us  anything  better.  Why,  then,  should  you  be 
angry  with  "  the  Christians,"  ignorant  or  intelligent  (as  you 
please),  if  they  are  tenacious  of  what  they  have,  till  they  know 
what  it  is  they  are  going  to  receive  in  exchange  ? 

"  Several  of  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,"  you  say,  "  I  can- 
not believe." 

Quite  likely.     Why  not  ? 

"  They  are  inconsistent." 

With  what  ? 

"  With  reason ;  I  cannot  comprehend  them,  and  I  will  venture 
to  say  no  man  can ! " 

That  is  not  unlikely. 

"  I  never  will  believe  what  I  do  not  understand." 

Then  you  will  never  become  a  philosopher. 

"  The  following  are  my  arguments  in  support  of  the  princi- 
ples (?)  I  have  advanced ;  they  have  cost  me  much  pains  and 
trouble." 

So  did  a  broomstick  the  Dutch  painter;  for  he  spent  three 
whole  days  in  painting  one,  and  after  all  it  \yas  only  a  broom- 
stick. 

"  By  what  mode  of  reasoning  would  you  undertake  to  refute 
them  ? " 

I  shall  answer  you  as  a  lady  did  one  of  your  brethren.  In  a 
large  party,  he  had  been  repeating  a  number  of  absurdities  to 
prove  that  men  had  no  souls.  The.  company  contented  them- 
selves with  staring  at  him,  instead  of  "  answering  the  fool  accord- 


328 


REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 


ing  to  his  folly."  Addressing  a  lady,  he  asked,  with  an  air  of 
triumph,  what  she  thought  of  his  arguments.  She  replied,  "  It 
appears  to  me,  sir,  you  have  been  employing  a  good  deal  of 
talent  to  prove  yourself  a  beast !  " 

You  go  on,  "  I  know  I  am  a  sinner,  nor  is  it  likely  I  shall  die 
anything  else,  according  to  Bible  notions ;  but  I  object  to  an 
eternity  of  punishment  for  a  class  of  sins  committed  by  a  finite 
being.     Infinite  for  finite  is  too  much." 

But  is  it  fitting  that  you  should  decide  upon  the  penalty,  your- 
self being  the  transgressor,  and  God  the  injured  party  ?  Sup- 
pose the  courts  of  justice  in  these  kingdoms  should  let  every 
criminal  determine  the  degree  of  punishment  he  should  suffer ; 
would  there  be  any  adequate  penalty  in  the  land  ?  Such  deci- 
sions come  from  a  higher  quarter.  Thus  the  majesty  of  the  law 
is  upheld,  and  human  rights  secured.  Most  capital  crimes  are 
committed  in  a  few  minutes ;  yet  for  these  the  wisest  law-givers 
of  all  ages  and  nations  have  inflicted  the  punishment  of  death, 
or  privation  of  liberty  to  the  end  of  natural  life.  Why  not 
attempt  a  reformation  in  the  civil  law  ?  If  your  principles  are 
right,  all  governments,  divine  and  human,  are  wrong.  If  there 
be  a  God  in  heaven,  and  this  earth  belongs  to  him,  he  governs 
it.  If  the  creatures  upon  it  are  accountable,  he  has  given  them 
laws  as  a  rule  of  conduct.  Sin  is  a  transgression  of  that  law, 
and  a  penalty  is  attached  to  its  violation.  Pardon  is  offered 
during  natural  life,  on  the  conditions  of  repentance,  and  faith  in 
the  atonement.  Here  is  mercy,  which  reaches  every  sinner's 
case.  Who  can  object  to  this  ?  The  soul  is  eternal  in  its  exist- 
ence, and  therefore  cannot  die  with  the  body.  The  monarch  of 
heaven  and  earth  has  decreed  the  penalty  of  "  eternal  punish- 
ment" upon  every  soul  that  leaves  the  body  in  a  state  of  sin. 
He  who  can  receive  this  doctrine  of  revelation,  let  him  do  so, 
and  live  accordingly ;  but  whosoever  cannot,  let  him  prepare  to 
abide  the  consequences  in  eternity.  Are  you  able  to  set  limits 
to  the  heinousness  of  sin  perpetrated  against  the  laws  of  an 
infinite  God?  If  sin  merit  punishment  for  a  moment,  are  you 
sure  it  demands  it  not  through  eternity  ?  But  you  will  inquire, 
"  Upon  what  principle  ? "     On  that  of  its  continuance.     A  sin- 


INFIDEL    OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  329 

ner  dying  a  sinner,  continues  on  through  eternity.  If  he  remains 
a  sinner  always,  shall  not  the  penalty  coexist  with  the  crime  ? 
The  torments  of  hell  can  no  more  put  an  end  to  the  soul's  sin- 
ning, than  a  pump  in  a  river  could  drain  it  dry.  It  may  throw 
out  some  water,  but  the  source  is  exhaustless  —  the  river  remains. 
The  argument,  therefore,  stands  thus:  "Endless  sin  creates 
a  never-ending  hell;  a  punishment,  one  would  think,  quite  suf- 
ficient to  warn  you  away  from  an  '  experiment '  that  may  be 
everlasting." 

"  I  cannot  believe  there  is  a  hell ;  who,  alive,  has  ever  seen 
it?" 

This  is  a  very  foolish  objection,  but  it  is  not  original.  An  old 
American  sinner  used  nearly  the  same  words;  but  his  little 
grandchild,  hanging  on  his  knee,  looking  up  in  his  face,  said, 
"  But  you  have  never  been  dead  yet,  grandfather  !  " 

You  go  on,  "  I  once  had  those  horrible  feelings  about  my  soul 
which  you  describe  in  your  declamations,  but  since  the  adoption 
of  my  present  views  I  have  been  quite  easy." 

To  this  I  reply :  Some  years  ago  a  Socinian  was  travelling 
in  Wales,  and,  meeting  with  an  unlearned  Welshman,  broached 
his  Christ-degrading  doctrines,  affirming  that  Christ  was  a  mere 
man,  and  his  blood  of  no  more  value  than  that  of  any  other 
human  being.  The  peasant,  gazing  steadfastly  in  his  face, 
said,  "  Sir,  what  did  that  opinion  cost  you?  I '11  tell  you.  It 
cost  you  many  a  hard  battle  !  Long  have  you  fought  hard  con- 
tests with  your  own  conscience,  and  in  many  engagements  have 
been  overcome.  You  have  at  length  so  triumphed  over  your 
foe,  that  you  have  become  the  dupe  of  your  own  imposition.^' 
Is  this  not  applicable  to  you,  sir  ?  I  wish  it  would  affect  you  as 
it  did  the  Socinian,  who  confessed  that  he  never  had  a  blow 
equal  to  that  from  the  Welsh  peasant. 

But  let  us  proceed.  "  I  attended  closely  to  the  operations  of 
my  own  mind.  I  philosophized  upon  the  subject  thus  :  '  I  have 
stepped  a  little  out  of  the  beaten  track  of  theology,  and  my  hor- 
rors have  subsided.  This  is  the  nesult  of  entertaining  views  of 
God  different  from  those  taught  by  men  who  have  been  earning 
their  bread  at  the  expense  of  my  happiness.  But  I  have  my 
28^ 


330  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

doubts  upon  other  points  of  the  Bible.  If  a  slight  deviation  from 
popular  opinions  has  relieved  my  mind  so  much,  why  not  throw 
the  remainder  overboard  ?  '  I  tried  to  do  so,  and  at  length  suc- 
ceeded. I  became  confident,  or  *  wicked,'  as  you  would  say,  in 
proportion  to  my  quiet,  and  all  uneasiness  has  long  since 
departed." 

Yes,  and  the  course  you  have  pursued  may  prove  quite  as 
fatal  to  your  soul  as  the  following  to  the  life  of  a  young  woman 
in  one  of  the  States  of  America.  The  treatment  dispensed  to 
your  poor  soul  is  so  similar  to  the  dreadful  experiment  practised 
upon  her,  that  I  think  it  worth  the  trouble  of  writing,  although 
it  may  have  no  serious  effect  upon  your  mind. 

She  was  taken  ill ;  so  much  so,  that  a  physician  was  sent  for. 
After  a  careful  consideration  of  her  case,  he  prepared  two  classes 
of  powders,  carefully  folded  and  labelled.  One  of  them  was  a 
preparation  of  opium,  and  the  other  a  nauseating  powder.  When 
she  took  the  former,  she  became  quite  easy ;  but  the  latter  made 
her  very  restless.  A  convention  of  the  women  of  the  neighbor- 
hood was  called,  and  one  of  them  addressed  her  neighbors  thus : 
"  You  see  how  it  is ;  the  doctor  must  have  a  living,  and  have  it 
by  his  trade,  too.  One  kind  of  powder  makes  her  better,  —  the 
other  worse ;  if  he  gave  her  only  the  bad  kind,  you  see,  he 
would  soon  kill  her ;  and  the  good  would  speedily  cure  her ;  so 
that  in  either  case  he  would  have  a  small  bill.  This  is  why  he 
gives  two  kinds.  Now,  let  us  act  according  to  common  sense,  in 
disregard  of  the  doctor's  orders,  whose  interest  it  is  to  keep  her 
still  an  invalid.  Let  us  give  her  only  the  good  powders."  The 
proposition  was  well  received,  with  an  amendment,  by  another 
good  woman,  "  And  let  her  have  two  of  the  good  powders  at  a 
time ; "  which  was  adopted.  The  patient  became  "  quite  easy," 
slept  quietly,  but  she  never  awoke  again. 

Notwithstanding  your  "quiet"  upon  religious  subjects,  con- 
science may  possibly  assist  you  to  "  make  the  application." 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE   ANXIETY    OF   INFIDELS. 

A  WRITER,  some  years  ago,  when  commenting  upon  the  con- 
cluding article  of  the  infidel's  creed,  "  I  believe  in  all  unbelief," 
remarked,  that  it  might  have  been  better  expressed  thus:  "I 
believe  in  all  absurdity,  that  I  may  justify  my  unbelief  in  the 
Scriptures."  Your  ingenuity  reminds  me  of  the  sentiment  of 
another  :  "  If  a  man  will  bring  me  arguments  against  the  Bible, 
I  will  thank  him ;  if  not,  I  shall  invent  them." 

If  you  are  satisfied  with  your  principles,  why  such  anxiety  to 
discuss  them  ?  Surely  you  cannot  imagine  I  should  become  a 
better  man  by  believing  as  you  do ;  nor  can  I  well  conceive  how 
you  could  suppose  that  my  soul  would  improve  the  safety  of  its 
condition,  by  adopting  your  opinions.  In  no  way  could  they  be 
essential  to  my  happiness,  unless  a  complete  change  should  take 
place  in  the  honesty  of  my  mind,  and  in  the  character  of  my 
morals.  I  feel  perfectly  willing  to  walk  in  the  paths  of  right- 
eousness. There  is  nothing  in  sin  desirable.  Would  it  not, 
then,  be  quite  foolish  in  me  to  throw  up  my  hopes  of  immortality, 
which  make  me  cheerful  and  happy  ?  Nay,  it  would  be  mad- 
ness to  jeopardize  my  soul  for  nought ;  post  to  hell  without 
excuse ;  and  place  myself  under  the  possible  necessity  of  being 
damned.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  that  moles  and  bats  love  their 
dark  receptacles,  and  hate  the  light  and  the  sun.  It  is  their 
nature  to  do  so.  But  is  this  a  good  reason  why  the  innocent 
and  happy  birds  of  heaven  should  hate  the  sun  and  his  beams, 
and  forsake  the  cheerful  atmosphere  to  burrow  in  the  earth,  or 
flap  their  little  wings  amidst  cobwebs  and  darkness  ? 

A  gentleman  in  America,  who  had  escaped  from  this  snare  of 
the  devil,  remarked  to  me,  one  day  :  *'  Two  things  may  be  said 


332  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

of  infidelity:    1.  It  is  certain  we  can  gain  nothing  by  it;  and, 
2.  We  may  lose  everything  through  it." 

Is  it  not  a  fact  that  you  have  serious  misgivings  as  to  the 
truth  of  your  system  ?  An  anxiety  to  gain  your  point  in  an 
argument  is  not  against  my  surmise ;  in  this  feeling  there  may 
be  much  of  pride  and  selfishness,  if  not  infernal  malice. 

Is  it  not  easy  to  conceive  how  a  man  may  desire  a  thing  to  be 
true,  although  at  heart  he  may  doubt  its  truth  ? 

I  remember  hearing  of  a  case  which  happened,  it  was  said,  not 
far  from  where  I  had  charge  of  a  congregation.  An  individual, 
who,  by  a  course  of  sin,  had  rendered  Universalism,  or  a  disbelief 
of  future  punishment,  essential  to  his  happiness,  was  driving  a 
yoke  of  oxen  along  the  highway  ;.  a  neighbor  of  his,  coming  up 
behind  him,  overheard  the  following  soliloquy :  "  I  believe  that 
Universalism  (another  name  for  infidelity)  is  true.  I  do  believe 
it  is  true.  Yes,  I  do  ;  and  yet,  I  would  give  that  yoke  of  oxen 
to  be  assured  of  its  truth." 

You  say,  "  From  whence  but  from  the  Bible  originated  those 
strifes  and  contradictions  of  opinion  which  have  distracted 
Christendom  ? " 

But  a  writer  some  years  ago  insisted  that  dissensions  in  relig- 
ion flow  from  nothing  else  than  ignorance  of  grammar !  Would 
it  be  wise  in  you  to  assert  that  the  sun  is  the  cause  of  all  the 
wickedness  and  misery  perpetrated  beneath  his  beams,  because 
he  affords  men  light  to  work  out  the  disorders  of  their  nature, 
while  he  renders  their  infamous  conduct  visible  ?  Is  there  a  man 
in  these  kingdoms  who  would  agree  with  you  in  saying  that  we 
should  be  better  off*  without  the  sun ;  therefore,  let  him  be  blotted 
out  of  the  heavens  altogether  ?  If  an  individual  miss  his  way 
in  "  broad  day-light,"  is  it  likely  he  could  succeed  any  better 
amidst  the  darkness  of  night  ?  Ancient  and  modern  paganism 
have  long  since  answered  this  question.  Permit  me  to  inquire 
from  what  quarter  the  dissensions  of  infidelity  have  arisen,  —  I 
have  never  yet  found  two  of  your  writers  agreed.  Each  has  a 
system  of  his  own,  widely  different  from  all  the  rest.  Christians 
differ,  it  is  true,  upon  some  minor  points  ;  but  tl;iey  perfectly 
agree  in  all  the  essential  doctrines  of  Christianity. 


THE   ANXIETY    OF   INFIDELS.  333 

To  your  other  objections  against  the  Bible,  I  shall  let  a  poet 
reply : 

"  What  none  can  prove  a  forgery,  may  be  true  ; 
What  none  but  bad  men  wish  exploded,  must." 

"  The  greater  part  of  professors  of  religion  are  hypocrites." 

I  wonder  you  have  not  branded  them  all. 

"I  have  seen  none  that  I  could  trust,  — never." 

Probably  not.  Your  father  and  mother  were  not  Christians, 
I  presume ;  if  they  were,  what  a  sad  impression  have  they  left 
upon  your  mind  !  Perhaps  you  had  forgotten  them.  A  message 
from  the  death-bed  of  either  might  affect  you  as  much  as  a 
similar  event  impressed  one  quite  as  bad  as  yourself.  He  had 
long  renounced  Christianity,  and,  while  wandering  in  foreign 
parts,  was  the  victim  of  infidelity.  His  pious  mother  was 
mourning  and  praying  for  her  deluded  son.  Her  last  days  were 
greatly  embittered  by  reflecting  on  his  dangerous  errors.  She 
was  taken  with  sickness  unto  death,  but  her  dying  moments 
were  employed  in  repeating  his  name,  and  dictating  her  last 
request,  that  he  would  abandon  his  infidelity,  and  return  to  the 
religion  of  his  Saviour.  After  her  death,  his  sister,  to  whom  the 
document  had  been  committed,  forwarded  it  to  her  brother.  The 
letter  reached  him  beyond  the  seas ;  and  shortly  after  that 
another,  containing  the  news  of  the  death  of  that  lovely  sister. 
"  These  two  voices  came  upon  me,"  he  said,  "  as  it  were  from 
the  tomb."  One  death  seemed  to  be  the  interpretation  of  the 
other  in  such  a  way  as  to  strike  him  with  a  force  that  was 
irresistible.  But  hear  his  own  words  :  "  I  became  a  Christian. 
I  did  not  yield,  I  allow,  to  supernatural  illuminations ;  but  my 
convictions  of  the  truth  of  Christianity  sprang  from  the  heart. 
I  wept,  and  I  believed." 

You  say,  '*  I  never  look  doivii  upon  one  of  your  Christians 
without  a  feeling  of  contempt." 

Accept  the  reply  I  heard  a  good  man  give  to  a  similar  bravado 
in  America :  "  Look  down  upon  a  Christian  !  were  you  to  look 
as  low  as  hell,  you  could  not  see  a  Christian.  You  must  look 
aloft  to  behold  him  :  he  is  above  you." 


334  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

"  1  have  not,  it  is  true,  associated  much  with  those  who  have 
made  any  great  pretensions  to  religion." 

I  thought  so  ;  and  I  doubt  whether  you  have  ever  been  under 
circumstances  to  test  the  honesty  and  piety  of  a  real  Christian. 

"  But,  I  have  been  an  observer  of  the  great  mass  of  your  good 
Christians." 

Nominal  Protestants;  but  I  presume  you  do  not  know  the 
difference  :  you  are  not  careful  about  nice  distinctions  between 
nominal  and  real  Christians. 

"  Appearances  or  pretensions  to  religion  always  put  me  on  my 
guard.  The  garb  of  Christianity  is. generally  put  on  for  the 
sake  of  advantage,  —  to  cover  some  dark  and  villanous  design. 
Were  I  a  lonely  traveller,  I  should  be  suspicious  of  ih^  stranger 
whose  mouth  was  full  of  Scripture.  A  sudden  acquaintance 
with  one  maintaining  silence  upon  such  subjects  would  not  so 
much  alarm  me." 

Sir,  I  cannot  follow  you  through  all  your  dark  insinuations. 
The  last  few  sentences  confirm  your  own  admission,  that  you 
have  never  associated  much  with  Christians.  They  tend,  also,  to 
confirm  my  assertion,  that  you  have  never  been  placed  in  cir- 
cumstances adapted  to  prove  to  you  which  you  would  prefer,  — 
a  man  "  whose  mouth  was  filled  with  Scripture,"  or  one  who 
maintained  a  sullen  silence  upon  such  subjects.  If  you  have  not 
had  experience  upon  such  matters,  it  is  hoped  you  will  profit  by 
that  of  one  of  your  brethren  in  America.  The  circumstance 
was  not  without  its  effect,  when  made  known  to  the  public.  Two 
men,  belonging  to  one  of  the  States  of  New  England,  were 
travelling  together  into  the  western  country,  on  business.  One 
was  an  infidel,  the  other  a  Christian.  The  sceptic  on  almost 
every  occasion  intruded  his  injurious  opinions;  as  if  to  prove 
himself  the  very  character  described  by  the  poet : 

"The  sprightlier  infidel,  as  yet  more  gay, 
Fires  off  the  next  idea  in  his  way  ; 
The  dry  fag-ends  of  every  obvious  doubt, 
And  puffs  and  blows  for  fear  they  should  go  out ; 
Boldly  resolved,  against  conviction  steeled, 
Nor  inward  truth  nor  outward  fact  to  yield ; 


THE    ANXIETY   OF    INFIDELS.  335 

Urged  with  a  thousand  proofs,  he  stands  unmoved, 
Fast  by  himself,  and  scorns  to  be  out-proved  ; 
To  his  own  reason  loudly  he  appeals, 
No  saint  more  zealous  for  what  God  reveals  " 

When  sorely  pressed,  he  had  still  one  resource  always  at  hand, 
—  to  denounce  religion  as  an  imposture,  and  professors  as  hypo- 
crites; asserting  that  he  felt  "particularly  exposed  in  the  com- 
pany of  Christians,  and  took  especial  care  of  horse  and  purse 
when  the  saints  were  around  "  him. 

They  travelled  westward,  far  into  the  wilderness.  One  night 
their  situation  was  very  trying ;  and,  for  a  time,  they  had  no 
other  prospect  than  to  ride  on  till  morning,  or  sit  down,  exposed 
to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather.  Having  money  about  their 
persons,  they  dreaded  robbers  more  than  the  wild  beasts  of  the 
forest.  Hiding  onward,  they  discovered  a  poor  little  hut; 
alighted,  went  in,  and  looked  around.  The  house  was  as 
comfortless  within  as  without ;  and  the  inmates  were  not  at  all 
prepossessing.  An  elderly  man,  his  wife  and  two  sons,  were 
the  family;  hardy,  rough,  and  sunburnt.  Although  made 
welcome,  they  were  suspicious.  "  These  coarse  people,"  they 
thought,  "  seem  kind,  but  this  may  be  to  deceive  us,  and  put  us 
off  our  guard.  The  place  is  lonely;  just  fit  for  scenes  of  robbery 
and  blood,  and  no  help  at  hand,  in  case  of  extremity."  Our 
travellers  communicated  their  fears  to  each  other.  The  sceptic 
was  greatly  agitated,  and  expressed  fears  that  this  might  be  the 
last  night  of  their  existence.  Aware  that  to  proceed  would  not 
lessen  the  danger,  they  agreed  thus  between  themselves  :  "  An 
appartment  has  been  offered  us  ;  we  shall  secure  the  door,  have 
weapons  of  defence  ready,  one  shall  sleep  while  the  other  keeps 
watch,  and,  in  case  of  extremity,  we  will  sell  our  lives  as  dearly 
as  possible."  Having  settled  their  plans,  they  joined  the  family 
at  supper,  after  which  they  proposed  to  retire.  The  old  man 
requested  them  to  wait  a  little,  =^  =^  =^  and  after  a  short  pause 
said  that  it  had  been  his  practice  in  better  days,  and  he  con- 
tinued it  still,  to  call  his  family  together  before  they  retired  to 
rest,  in  order  to  commend  them  to  God  in  prayer;  and,  if  the 
strangers  had  no  objections,  he  should  attend  to  it  before  they 


336  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

separated.  The  Christian  rejoiced  to  find  a  brother  in  the 
wilderness,  and  the  sceptic  could  not  well  conceal  his  satisfaction 
with  the  proposal.  The  family  Bible  was  brought  forward,  and 
no  dust  had  gathered  upon  its  lids,  although  age  had  set  its 
mark  upon  it.  The  old  man  selected  a  passage  for  the  night, 
read  it  reverently ;  after  which,  they  all  prostrated  themselves 
before  God,  when  the  aged  man's  voice  was  raised  in  earnest 
supplication  for  divine  protection. 

"  When  such  a  man,  familiar  with  the  skies, 
Has  filled  his  urn  where  these  pure  waters  rise, 
And  once  more  mingles  with  us  meaner  things, 
'T  is  even  as  though  an  angel  shook  his  wings,  — 
The  balmy  influence  is  difiused  around, 
And  tells  us  where  his  treasures  may  be  found." 

He  was  evidently  a  man  of  prayer,  and  it  was  quite  as  plain 
that  his  was  a  cottage  where  prayer  was  wont  to  be  made.  The 
travellers  were  not  forgotten.  He  prayed  that  they  might  be 
preserved  on  their  journey,  and  at  the  close  of  life's  journey  they 
might  have  an  eternal  home  in  heaven.  After  prayer  they 
retired,  and,  according  to  previous  arrangement,  the  infidel  was 
to  take  the  first  watch ;  but,  instead  of  priming  his  pistols,  and 
bracing  his  nerves  for  an  attack,  he  was  for  wrapping  himself  in 
his  great  coat  and  blanket,  as  quietly  as  if  he  had  never  thought 
of  danger.  His  friend  reminded  him  of  their  dismal  apprehen- 
sions, and  inquired  how  he  had  come  so  suddenly  to  lose  them. 
The  infidel  felt  the  force  of  the  question,  and  of  all  that  it  implied. 
He  frankly  acknowledged  the  cause,  —  that  he  felt  himself  as  safe 
as  at  a  New  ^^ngland  fireside,  and  should  do  so  in  any  house  or 
forest  where  the  Bible  was  read  as  that  old  man  read  it,  and 
prayer  ofTered  up  as  the  old  man  prayed.  Now,  my  dear  sir,  until 
you  are  placed  under  similar  circumstances,  or  until  you  can 
explain  satisfactorily  to  yourself  how  such  a  change  could  take 
place  in  that  infidel's  mind,  without  a  conscious  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  truth  and  power  of  the  religion  of  the  Bible,  I  cannot 
allow  you,  unrebuked,  to  deal  in  those  unfair  insinuations  against 
the  character  of  the  Bible  Christians. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

mPTDEL  DEFENCES   DEMOLISHED. 

Infidels  of  the  present  day  are  greatly  at  a  loss  for  some 
original  vigorous  spirit,  —  one  who  could  skim  off  the  old  discol- 
ored froth,  and  dive  deeper  than  his  predecessors  into  the  stag- 
nant pool,  in  order  to  raise  a  new  scum,  wherewith  to  bespatter 
everything  that  looks  like  religion. 

"I  never  gathered  from  infidel  writers,  when  an  infidel 
myself,"  said  a  good  man,  "  any  solid  difficulties,  which  were 
not  brought  to  my  mind  by  a  very  young  child  of  my  own." 
"  Why  was  sin  permitted  ?  What  an  insignificant  world  is  this, 
to  be  redeemed  by  the  incarnation  and  death  of  the  Son  of  God ! 
Who  can  believe  that  so  few  will  be  saved  ? " 

Time  will  not  allow  me  to  go  through  the  whole  of  your 
"  negativing  sentimentalism."  Seldom  have  I  seen  a  production 
so  illustrative  of  the  sentiment  of  a  modem  writer:  "One 
false  principle  will  lead  to  a  hundred  false  conclusions."  Were 
it  not  that  I  know  you  were  not  in  the  world  when  the  follow- 
ing was  written,  I  should  incline  to  believe  you  had  helped  the 
poet  to  the  idea  : 

**  As  rivers,  though  they  bend  and  twine, 
Still  to  the  sea  their  course  incline  ; 
Or,  as  philosophers,  who  find 
Some  favorite  system  to  their  mind, 
In  every  point  to  make  it  fit, 
Will  force  all  nature  to  submit." 

I  shall,  therefore,  beg  to  be  excused  from  "  entering  the  lists  " 
against  fancies  so  ridiculous.  There  are,  however,  other  senti- 
ments worthy  of  a  passing  remark.  "  If  all  the  world  were 
free-thinkers, —  that  is,  free  from  the  trammels  of  religion,  and  the 
prejudices  of  an  education  peculiar  to  itself,"  —  what  then? 
29 


338  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

"  We  should  have  quite  a  different  world  from  what  we  have 
now." 

There  is  not  a  doubt  of  it.  Suppose  we  call, up  France,  with 
her  witnesses.  The  experiment  was  tried  there;  she  had  a 
revolution  in  favor  of  infidelity ;  but  it  clothed  her  in  sackcloth, 
and  drenched  her  in  tears  and  blood.  The  civilized  world  stood 
aghast.  Anarchy  and  cruelty,  assassinations  and  wholesale 
murders,  were  the  order  of  the  day.  "  It  turned,"  says  a  writer, 
"  the  hand  of  every  man  against  his  neighbor,  sparing  no  age, 
nor  sex,  nor  rank,  till,  satiated  with  the  ruin  of  greatness,  the 
distresses  of  innocence,  and  the  tears  of  beauty,  it  terminated 
its  career  in  the  most  unrelenting  despotism."  Infidelity  had  its 
reign  ;  —  thank  God,  it  was  short,  and  confined  to  that  unfortu- 
nate country.  It  was  sufficiently  long  to  allow  the  infinite  God 
to  burn  a  mighty  lesson  into  the  heart  of  thoughtless  France, 
never  to  be  forgotten ;  long  enough  to  set  its  bloody  type  upon 
the  page  of  history.  All  civilized  nations  were  compelled  to 
denominate  it  "  The  Reign  of  Terror  ! "  deprecating  its  return 
in  one  universal  voice  :  "  O  !  never,  while  time  rolls  onward 
toward  eternity,  let  us  again  see  the  crowded  prisons,  the  head- 
less trunks,  the  spouting  life-blood,  the  maniac  features,  of  a 
revolution  in  favor  of  infidelity ! " 

You  stumble  on  :  "I  see  nothing  to  hinder  men  from  being 
upright  and  honest,  who  are  infidels  in  principle." 

But  I  do. 

"Why  should  they  not?  Pray,  tell  me  what  is  there  in  infi- 
delity so  pernicious  to  sound  morals  ? " 

I  ask  you,  in  return,  what  one  principle  of  infidelity  can  you 
point  out  that  has  not  a  direct  tendency  to  foster  immorality  ? 
What  law,  what  threatening,  what  obligation,  or  penalty  of 
Christianity,  does  not  infidelity  attempt  to  repel?  But  take 
these  away,  and  what  rampart  is  left  to  withstand  the  overflow- 
ings of  wickedness  ?  Has  not  infidelity  renounced  every  safe- 
guard thrown  around  life,  property,  chastity,  and  character,  by 
Christianity?  And  what  is  offered  to  the  family  of  man,  in 
return  ?     Can  you  point  me  to  a  single  principle  of  infidelity. 


INFIDEL    DEFENCES    DEMOLISHED.  339 

not  involved  and  centred  in  that  question  proposed  by  ancient 
infidels,  "  How  doth  God  know  ? " 

Understand  me  ;  I  do  not  say  that  all  infidels  are  glaringly- 
immoral,  though  most  of  them  are,  and  you  know  it.  Look 
around  your  circle,  and  give  an  honest  reply.  To  attribute 
"  sound  morals  "  to  infidelity,  is  as  unphilosophical  as  to  impute 
effects  to  causes  which  never  can  produce  them.  Some  of  your 
brethren,  I  allow,  —  and  it  is  a  stretch  of  charity,  —  may  spurn 
from  them  all  that  is  mean  and  dishonorable.  If  so,  the  practice 
has  been  derived  from  principles  which  infidelity  ridicules. 

"  Infidels  are  willing  to  think,  and  let  think." 

I  never  yet  have  found  one  of  that  sort. 

"  They  are  rational,  candid  men.  They  have  none  of  that 
fiery  zeal  and  stubborn  bigotry  of  the  Christian  party." 

You  have  either  lost  your  senses,  or  you  mean  one  thing 
while  you  express  another.  You  must  know  that  the  facts  are 
just  the  contrary.  But  one,  who  was  once  of  your  party,  —  an 
avowed  infidel,  —  thought  differently  from  you.  He  was  well 
acquainted  with  infidel  writers  of  all  kinds,  and  especially  with 
the  most  literary  of  the  tribe.  The  following  testimony  was 
found  among  his  papers,  after  death :  "  What  sort  of  men  are 
infidels  ?  They  are  loose,  fierce,  overbearing  men.  There  is 
nothing  in  them  like  sober,  serious  inquiry.  They  are  the 
wildest  fanatics  upon  earth,  nor  have  they  agreed  among  them- 
selves upon  any  scheme  of  truth  and  felicity.  Contrast  the 
character  of  infidels  with  that  of  real  Christians."  Let  the 
writings  of  infidels,  and  the  hard  sayings,  wild  imaginings,  and 
unsettled  notions,  of  your  acquaintance,  bear  witness  to  the 
above  charge. 

"  Your  Bible  calls  itself  '  a  lamp  to  our  ieet,  and  a  light  to 
our  path.'  But  for  what  purpose  has  the  light  of  nature  been 
given  us  ?  By  this  I  mean  the  light  of  reason.  This,  it  is 
true,  is  but  like  moonlight,  but  by  it  we  can  see  all  we  want 
to  see." 

Quite  likely. 

"  And  of  what  use  is  a  lamp  in  moonlight  ?  " 

Try  if  you  cannot  gather  a  reply  out  of  the  following  inci- 


340  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

dent.  I  shall  assist  you  by  a  hint  or  two  in  brackets.  Some 
years  ago,  a  gentleman  accustomed  to  walk  the  streets  of  Phila- 
delphia, U.  S.,  brought  a  charge  against  the  corporation  of  that 
city.  It  appears  that  economic  body  regulated  their  gas  by  the 
almanac  and  moon.  [Reason,  or  the  light  of  nature.]  When 
the  almanac  said  "  there  is  a  moon,"  they  did  not  light  up. 
The  complainant,  returning  home  one  night,  had  a  stumbling 
time,  jeoparding  neck  and  limb.  The  moon  was  where  she 
ought  to  be,  but  muffled  up  in  thick  clouds,  and  he  had  to  pick 
his  way  by  flashes  of  lightning.  [Gleams  of  light  from  eternity 
upon  the  conscience,  —  flashes  of  terror  from  the  violated  law 
of  God.]  Getting  into  a  better  temper,  as  he  proceeded  with  his 
complaints,  he  advised,  that  as  moonlight  or  lightning  was  such 
a  species  of  celestial  dependence,  as  not  to  suit  our  terrestrial 
circumstances,  better,  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  breaking  our 
necks  [stumbling  into  hell],  to  keep  the  lamps  lighted  hereafter, 
[the  Bible],  whether  we  have  moonlight  [the  light  of  reason]  or 
not.     Do  you  understand  me  ? 

You  proceed,  "  Infidels  should  be  men  of  integrity,  as  much 
so  as  any  class  of  men  in  the  world." 

Yes,  but  are  they  so  ?  Should  I  not  rather  inquire  whether 
you  are  in  your  right  mind  ?  Is  it  possible  you  can  be  entirely 
ignorant  of  the  facts  of  the  case  ?  What  is  there,  I  ask 
again,  in  your  system,  calculated  to  make  and  keep  them 
such  ? 

"  They  are  free-thinkers  and  free-speakers,  and  what  are  they 
the  worse  for  that  ? " 

Why  did  you  not  add  free-doers  ?  Perhaps  you  have  read 
the  following,  as  it  has  been  published  to  the  world ;  but  facts 
will  bear  repeating.  A  certain  gentleman,  whose  name  and 
place  of  abode  I  need  not  mention,  as  they  are  not  necessary  to 
the  moral  of  the  story,  was  a  great  free  thinker ,  and  a  free 
speaker,  too,  of  Ynsfree  thoughts.  Being  an  infidel  of  the  first 
rank,  he  made  no  scruple  to  disseminate  his  sceptical  opinions 
wherever  he  could  introduce  them.  Well,  his  free  thoughts, 
with  those  of  his  lady,  were  so  freely  and  frequently  discussed, 
that  the  servants  became  quite  as  able  disputants  as  the  heads 


INFIDEL    DEFENCES    DEMOLISHED.  341 

of  the  family.  Their  free  conversations  at  table  fully  convinced 
the  servant  who  waited  upon  them.  Persuaded,  as  he  was,  that 
for  any  of  his  misdeeds  in  this  world  he  should  have  no  after- 
account  to  make  in  another,  he  made  free  with  as  many  valuables 
as  he  could  appropriate  without  detection.  Resolving  at  last  to 
profit  as  much  as  possible  from  the  doctrine,  he  laid  a  free  hand 
upon  his  master's  plate.  The  free  highway  was  before  him,  to 
which  he  betook  himself,  free  from  his  master  and  all  obligation 
whatever,  except  that  of  eluding  his  pursuers.  Their  move- 
ments proving  too  rapid  for  the  thief,  he  was  caught,  brought 
back  with  his  booty,  and  examined,  in  the  presence  of  an  assem- 
bly, by  his  deeply-excited  master.  At  first  the  man  was  sullen, 
and  would  answer  no  questions ;  being  urged  to  give  a  reason 
for  his  infamous  behavior,  he  resolutely  said  :  "  Sir,  I  have  so 
often  heard  you  talk  of  the  impossibility  of  a  future  state,  and 
that  after  death  there  was  no  reward  for  virtue,  nor  any  punish- 
ment for  vice,  that  I  was  tempted  to  commit  the  robbery."  "You 
rascal,"  replied  the  master,  "  had  you  no  fear  of  the  gallows  ? " 
"  Sir,"  said  the  fellow,  looking  sternly  at  his  master,  "  what  is 
that  to  you,  if  I  had  a  mind  to  venture  that  ?  You  had  removed 
my  greatest  terror,  —  why  should  I  fear  the  lesser  ?  " 

It  was  a  powerful  conviction  of  the  risk  of  such,  or  more  dan- 
gerous results,  which  led  a  certain  great  infidel  abruptly  to 
request  a  gentleman  to  be  silent  on  the  entrance  of  servants. 
When  they  had  disappeared  from  the  room,  he  apologized,  —  "  If 
the  servants  should  believe  those  sentiments,  they  might  proba- 
bly cut  our  throats." 

When  an  infidel  asked  the  opinion  of  an  American  statesman 
on  the  propriety  of  taking  active  measures  to  advance  the  prin- 
ciples of  infidelity,  he  said,  "  Beware  how  you  wake  a  sleeping 
lion  :  if  men  are  so  bad  under  the  restraints  of  Christianity, 
what  will  they  be  without  them  ?  "  What  a  horrible  scheme, 
to  require  such  precautions !  There  is  no  necessity  for  anything 
of  the  kind,  with  the  religion  of  the  Bible.  Who  can  deny  its 
pure  and  moral  tendency  ?  Perhaps  you  have  never  read  that 
noble  and  beautiful  epitome  of  the  system  you  affect  to  despise : 
"Fi?ially,  brethren,  ichatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever  things 
29* 


342  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

are  honesty  whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure^ 
whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report; 
if  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  a?iy  praise,  think  on  these 
things.'^  Phil.  4 :  8.  Surely,  sir,  you  are  not  unacquainted 
with  the  tremendous  doctrines  which  call  for  such  a  pure  and 
elevated  morality.  But  could  we  expect  a  lower  standard  than 
the  above,  if  we  are  to  look  for  any  harmony  between  principles 
and  practice  ?  Take  away  a  single  item  from  the  above  cata- 
logue of  moral  virtues,  and  a  defection  from  Christian  princi- 
ples glaring  and  inconsistent  will  immediately  appear.  What 
but  the  dread  sanctions  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible  could  call 
forth,  and  sustain,  such  a  lovely  exhibition  of  pure  morality  in 
every-day  life?  A  course  of  conduct  this,  which  must  be 
approved  of  by  men,  and  also  by  a  holy  God,  who  searcheth  the 
heart.  I  shall  not  further  contrast  infidelity  with  Christianity. 
It  would  be  a  loss  of  time  to  compare  night  with  day,  or  winter 
with  summer,  merely  to  show  that  there  is  a  vast  difference 
between  them. 

There  is  an  abundance  of  sophistry  in  what  you  have  advanced 
against  the  resurrection  and  day  of  judgment.  Perhaps  you  are 
not  aware  that,  centuries  since,  the  same  ideas  were  recorded  in 
a  Jewish  Talmud,  of  which  the  following  is  the  substance :  A 
crafty  man  endeavored  to  perplex  a  rabbi,  thus :  The  day  of  judg- 
ment comes,  and  the  soul  and  body  appear  before  the  great  tri- 
bunal. The  Supreme  Judge  is  about  to  pronounce  sentence 
upon  both,  for  sins  committed  in  time.  But  the  soul  blames  the 
body  for  sins  perpetrated  during  life,  and  the  body  the  soul. 
Each  argues  thus  :  the  soul  proves  it  was  an  innocent  party  when 
united  with  the  body,  from  the  fact  that,  since  it  was  freed  by 
death,  it  has  been  flying  like  a  bird  through  the  air,  without 
sinning  as  formerly.  The  body  charges  past  sin  upon  the  soul, 
on  the  ground  that,  since  the  bonds  were  broken  which  led  them 
together,  it  had  slept  quietly  in  the  earth,  without  doing  good  or 
evil,  —  senseless  as  a  stone.  "  Therefore,"  said  the  sophist,  "  I 
conclude  that  both  soul  and  body  may  free  themselves  from  pun- 
ishment on  that  day." 

The  rabbi,  in  order  to  show  the  fallacy  of  such  reasoning. 


INFIDEL    DEFENCES    DEMOLISHED.  343 

resorted  to  a  parable :  A  certain  king  had  a  garden  of  ripe 
fruit,  and  appointed  two  meia  to  watch  it.  One  of  them  was  a 
blind  man,  and  the  other  lame.  Having  a  desire,  not  only  to 
eat  a  little  fruit,  but  to  gather  much  and  share  it  between  them, 
they  entered  into  a  partnership  in  the  business.  So  the  lame 
man,  getting  on  the  shoulders  of  him  who  was  blind,  plucked  the 
fruit,  and  both  partook  of  it.  After  a  time,  the  owner  came,  and 
inquired  for  his  fruit.  The  watchmen  were  called  to  an  account, 
and  charges  were  brought  against  them.  The  blind  man  said 
he  had  no  eyes,  and  therefore  could  not  see  the  fruit ;  the  lame 
man  said  he  had  no  feet,  and  therefore  could  not  reach  it.  The 
king,  knowing  the  guilt  of  the  parties,  ordered  the  lame  man  to 
mount  on  the  shoulders  of  the  blind  man,  and  judged  and  pun- 
ished them  both  at  once.  "  Thus,"  said  the  rabbi,  "  God  will 
put  the  soul  into  the  body,  and  judge  and  punish  them  both 
together." 

Forget  not,  dear  sir,  that  the  proceedings  of  that  day  stand 
among  those  things  which'  have  been  revealed.  That  the  body 
shall  arise  from  the  grave  and  be  reoccupied  by  the  soul  on  that 
great  day,  and  both  punished  together,  is  clearly  settled  in  the 
holy  Scriptures.  He  who  can  receive  it,  let  him ;  he  that  can- 
not must  answer  to  the  God  of  the  Bible. 

You  perceive  how  flimsy  are  your  arguments,  now,  even  when 
a  poor  mortal  like  myself  touches  them  : 

"  Frail  as  the  gossamer,  whose  fibres  span 
From  shrub  to  shrub  ;  which  lightest  zephyrs  fan 
Away,  away !" 

But  if,  on  a  future  day,  God  shall  acknowledge  the  divine 
inspiration  of  that  book  which  you  affect  to  despise,  all  your 
sophistical  cobwebs  must  be  swept  away.  Alone  ?  No !  but 
your  soul  must  go  down  with  them  into  that  fire  "  prepared  for 
the  devil  and  his  angels."  Please  read,  at  your  leisure,  Dan. 
12 :  2  ;  John  5  :  28—29 ;  Rev.  20  :  11—13. 

A  very  short  reply  will  do  for  your  concluding  sentiments. 
The  following  epitaph,  \vritten  by  a  witty  man,  for  the  tomb- 


344  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

stone  of  one  of  your  brethren,  I  would  recommend  for  yours, 
when  your  body  is  laid  in  the  dust : 

"  Here  lies  a  dicer,  long  in  doubt 
If  death  could  kill  his  soul  or  not ; 
Here  ends  his  doubtfulness,  at  last 
Convinced,  but,  oh,  the  die  is  cast ! " 


CHAPTER    XVn. 

ANNIHILATION. 

Art  thou  in  health,  my  friend?  Bad  health,  or  an  improper 
course  of  life,  must  have  impelled  you,  surely,  to  espouse,  — I  shall 
not  say  such  principles,  for  they  are  not  worthy  of  such  a  title,  — 
but  the  ^^probabilities"  of  a  blank  so  fearful,  in  your  future  his- 
tory. But  you  may  be  ready  to  ask,  "  What  has  bad  health  to 
do  with  my  opinions  ? "  I  know  not  that  I  can  give  you  a  bet- 
ter answer  than  in  the  language  of  a  character  somewhat  similar 
to  yourself,  but  just  emerging  into  a  happier  belief.  In  a  letter 
to  a  friend,  he  says :  "  I  will  just  speak  of  another  reflection. 
The  ingenious  Dr.  C.  reckons  all  gloomy  wrong-headedness,  and 
spurious  free-thinking,  as  so  many  symptoms  of  bodily  disease; 
and,  I  think,  says,  '  The  human  organs  in  Some  nervous  dis- 
tempers may,  perhaps,  be  rendered  fit  for  the  actuation  of  demons^ 
and  advises  religion  as  an  excellent  remedy.  Nor  is  this  un- 
likely to  be  my  own  case ;  for  a  nervous  disease,  of  some  years* 
standing,  rose  to  its  height  in ,  and  I  was  attacked  in  pro- 
portion by  irreligious  opinions.  The  medicirud  part  of  his  advice, 
a  vegetable  diet,  at  last  cured  my  dreadful  bodily  distemper.  It 
is,  then,  natural  to  think  the  spiritual  part  of  his  advice  equally 
good.  And  shall  I  neglect  it,  because  lam  now  in  health  ?  God 
forbid!" 

"  Annihilation ! "  But  what  is  that?  Do  you  properly  under- 
stand the  term,  think  you  ?  Have  you  a  right  conception  of  all 
its  appalling  import  ?  Is  it  not  to  be  reduced  to  nothing,  —  for- 
ever nothing?  as  if  you  had  never  been  ?  a  deprivation,  an  utter 
extinction  of  being?  a  loss  of  existence  throughout  eternity? 
Eternity  !  XJnmeanijig  ivord  I  you  have,  it  seems,  discarded  it 
quite  from  your  vocabulary.  But  do  you  find  it  quite  so  easy  a 
thing  to  expel  it  from  your  understanding,  or  to  blot  it  from  your 


346  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

memory  ?  I  will  venture  to  assert,  it  lives  there  ^ill,  and  bids 
defiance  to  all  the  exorcisms  of  infidelity  to  banish  it  thence ;  it 
abides  there  still,  with  a  sense  of  all  that  it  implies. 

I  am  not  willing  to  allow  that  "  Christian  enthusiasts"'^  are 
the  only  persons  who  "  are  constantly  poring  over  eternity." 
There  are  few,  perhaps,  who  think  more  about  this  important 
term  than  a  certain  class  of  infidels.  The  difference  between 
them  and  those  you  call  enthusiasts  is,  the  former  are  necessi- 
tated to  dwell  upon  the  darkest  and  most  terrifying  aspect  of  the 
question.     I  think  we  may  rather  say : 

"Atheists  are  dark  enthusiasts,  indeed, 
Whose  fire  enkindles  like  the  smoking  weed  ; 
Lightless  and  dull  the  clouded  fancy  burns, 
Wild  hopes  and  fears  still  flashing  out  by  turns. 
Averse  to  heaven,  amid  the  horrid  gleam. 
They  trace  annihilation's  monstrous  theme  ; 
On  gloomy  depths  of  nothingness  to  pore, 
Till  all  be  none,  and  being  be  no  more." 

It  is,  certainly,  a  dread  alternative  for  the  mind  to  be  in  a 
^^  state  of  poise"  between  an  eternity  of  misery,  or  annihilation. 
You  have,  it  seems,  renounced  the  former,  while  you  retain  the 
latter  as  the  most  tolerable  of  the  two.  Your  predicament  quite 
resembles  that  of  one  of  your  fraternity,  some  two  or  three  hun- 
dred years  ago,  well  expressed  thus  ; 

"When  death's  dread  form  appears,  she  feareth  not 
An  utter  quenching,  or  extinguishment ; 
She  would  be  glad  to  meet  with  such  a  lot, 
That  so  she  might  all  future  ill  prevent." 

Annihilation  !  Death's  last  moment  ushers  in  a  blank  which 
is  to  be  everlasting!  —  ^^ eternal!"  for,  although  you  profess  to 
have  excluded  from  your  thoughts  an  eternity  of  existence,  you 
do  not  seem  shy  of  the  term  when  applied  to  a  state  of  non- 
existence. But  it  expresses  your  meaning,  doubtless,  better  and 
more  strongly  than  any  other  word  in  our  language.  I  wonder, 
however,  why  you  venture  to  use  it  so  freely,  as  you  hazard 
"  being  tilted  over "  by  it  unto  the  other  side  of  the  question. 
Depend  upon  it  the  word  is  contagious ;  therefore  be  advised, 


ANNIHILATION.  347 

use  it  sparingly.  Annihilation !  —  Consider !  The  sun  shall  rise 
and  set ;  the  moon  shall  present  her  varied  face  to  the  earth ; 
nature  shall  change  her  dress  through  the  seasons  of  countless 
years ;  thunders  shall  roll  through  the  heavens,  and  the  light- 
nings flash;  science  shall  continue  its  march,  achieving  its  won- 
ders, and  triumphing  gloriously  over  all  the  difficulties  of  materi- 
alism ;  history  shall  continue  its  annals,  while  generation  suc- 
ceeds to  generation,  as  the  leaves  of  the  forest  in  the  revolving 
year.  Your  own  particular  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances 
shall  have  disappeared  from  among  men ;  the  house  in  which 
you  live  must  be  occupied  by  others ;  and  the  trade,  if  you  have 
one,  in  which  you  are  engaged,  shall  be  "  carried  on  "  by  strang- 
ers unknown  and  unborn.  Cities,  now  in  existence,  shall  have 
ceased  to  exist;  their  very  site  be  no  longer  known;  while  others 
shall  lift  their  shining  pinnacles  and  lofty  domes  in  the  sunshine. 
The  mightiest  empires  which  now  throw  their  ample  shades  over 
millions  of  subjects  shall  have  passed  away,  —  their  names  may 
be  lost,  or  dropped,  as  apocryphal,  from  the  pages  of  history; 
and  other  empires,  whose  names  are  not  yet  recorded  among  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  shall  be  swaying  their  sceptres  over  un- 
numbered millions :  But  where  shall  you  be  ?  I  mean,  by  you, 
that  thinking  intelligent  mind,  which,  through  organs  perishable 
as  the  grass  of  the  field,  is  perusing  this  letter,  and  judging  of 
its  contents.  Where,  what  shall  you  be  ?  Be !  according  to 
your  sentiments,  you  shall  have  no  being,  —  extinguished  as  the 
"  vital  spark  of  heavenly  flame,"  swallowed  up  and  lost  in  eter- 
nal oblivion.  How  can  you  dwell  upon  a  prospect  so  bleak  and 
comfortless,  without  a  chilly  horror  creeping  over  your  frame  ? 
**  Is  annihilation,"  inquires  one,  "  so  small  a  matter,  that  a  rea- 
sonable man  can  look  upon  it  with  complacency  ? " 

"  That  must  be  our  cure, 
To  be  no  more  :  sad  cure  !  for  who  would  lose, 
Though  full  of  pain,  this  intellectual  being, 
Those  thoughts  that  wander  through  eternity, 
To  perish  rather,  swallowed  up  and  lost 
In  the  wide  womb  of  uncreated  night,  * 

Devoid  of  sense  and  motion  ?  " 


348  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

Which  horn  of  the  following  dilemma  are  you  inclined  to 
take  ?  .  "  If  your  system  be  true,  you  have  a  bleak  and  comfort- 
less lot;  but, 'if  false,  forever  miserable  will  be  your  fate, 
because  you  are  making  no  preparation  for  it."  What  reply 
could  you  make  to  the  following  inquiry  and  conclusion  ?  "  Who 
among  us  could  be  cheerful  while  he  entertained  the  thought  of 
not  being  at  all  after  death,  which  must  be  the  atheist's  lot,  if 
his  system  be  true ;  or,  of  being  forever  miserable,  which  will  be 
his  case,  if  his  system  should  be  false  ?  On  a  person  of  this 
cast,  it  should  seem  needless  to  inflict  any  other  punishment 
than  that  of  leaving  him  to  the  horrors  of  his  gloomy  imagina- 
tion, till  he  feel  himself  to  want  those  joys  and  comforts  of 
which  he  hath  labored  to  deprive  others."  The  Sheffield  bard 
has,  I  think,  well  described  the  bleak  and  lonely  feelings  associ- 
ated, at  a  certain  period  of  human  life,  with  the  opinions  alluded 
to  by  the  above  writer.  I  shall  give  you  the  passage  to  which  I 
refer ;  requesting  you  only  to  observe  how  ingeniously  he  lets 
in,  at  the  close,  a  flood  of  heavenly  light  upon  the  drooping  and 
cheerless  mind  ;  would  to  God  it  may  irradiate  yours  also ! 

"  So  I  pass. 
The  world  grows  darker,  loaelier,  and  more  silent, 
As  I  go  down  into  the  vale  of  years  ; 
For  the  grave's  shadows  lengthen  in  advance, 
And  the  grave's  loneliness  appals  my  spirit, 
And  the  grave's  silence  sinks  into  my  heart, 
Till  I  forget  existence  in  the  thought 
Of  non-existence,  buried  for  a  while 
In  the  still  sepulchre  of  my  own  mind, 
Itself  imperishable  :  ah !  that  word, 
Like  the  archangel's  trumpet,  wakes  me  up 
To  deathless  resurrection.     Heaven  and  earth 
Shall  pass  away,  but  that  which  thinks  within  me 
Must  think  forever  ;  that  which  feels  must  feel ; 
I  am,  and  I  can  never  cease  to  be." 


CHAPTER  XVni. 

THE   SOUL   NOT   IVIATERIAL. 

I  CANNOT  now  find  time  to  enter  "  minutely  "  into  all  your  specu- 
lations ;  speculations  they  are,  and  ever  must  remain,  so  long  as 
you  have  not  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  "  attached  to  them.  But,  I 
would  ask,  is  not  God  an  immortal  being  ?  If  you  believe  in 
the  existence  of  angels,  are  they  not  immortal  also  ?  They  are 
thinking  beings,  but  they  are  not  material  beings.  Man  thinks^ 
and  reasons.  These  are  attributes  of  mind,  not  of  matter.  Why, 
then,  deny  eternity  of  duration  to  the  human  intellect  ?  Do  you 
not  perceive  that  the  same  mode  of  argument  which  you  have  em- 
ployed against  man  might  be  wielded  with  equal  force  against  the 
immortality  of  God  and  angels  ?  A  writer  of  no  mean  talent,  one 
who  contended  for  the  materiality  of  the  soul,  was  so  confounded 
by  this  very  dilemma,  that  he  was  driven  to  the  hard  necessity 
of  "  an  endeavor  "  to  prove  that  no  such  beings  as  angels  exist. 
But  he  had  the  good  sense  to  perceive  that  his  argument  would 
be  incomplete,  unless  he  could  prove  to  a  demonstration  that 
there  is  no  God.  This  blasphemy  he  saw  the  propriety  of 
avoiding.  Was  it  that  he  feared  the  title  of  an  atheist,  or  that 
of  di  fool?  His  argument  was  left  unfinished,  and,  therefore, 
was  good  for  nothing,  unless  to  prove  his  folly. 

"Lord,  what  a  nothing  is  this  little  span, 
Which  we  call  man  ! 
When  not  himself,  he  's  mad  ;  when  most  himself,  he  's  worse." 

An  ingenious  writer  of  the  last  century,  I  remember,  has  some 

clear  and  beautiful  thoughts  upon  the  nature  of  the  human  soul, 

as  distinguished  from  matter.     He  shows  that  atoms,  whether 

original  or  in  the  aggregate, — that  is,  the  accumulation  of  atoms, 

30 


350  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

under  any  given  form  of  organization,  —  cannot  think ;  that  it  is 
equally  impossible  for  matter  to  derive  thought  from  attenuation ; 
that  is,  that  minute  particles  compounded,  refined,  and  extended, 
even  subtilized  and  etherealized,  when  thus  modified,  continue 
matter  still,  and  must  remain  matter ;  —  it  cannot  think.  He 
shows,  with  equal  clearness,  that  thought  cannot  be  the  result  of 
any  chemical  proprieties  inherent  in  matter;  chemistry  never 
having  been  able  to  discover,  in  any  of  its  processes,  that  atoms 
can  be  made  to  think.  In  all  experiments  of  this  or  any  other 
kind,  these  particles  of  matter,  in  collection,  great  or  small,  are 
still  absolutely  incogitative  ;  nothing  resembling  thought  having 
ever  been  discerned.  He  proves,  also,  that  those  two  grand 
operations  of  the  elements  of  matter,  attraction  and  repulsion, 
are  equally  inefficient  in  producing  the  phenomenon  of  thought. 
Motion  may  operate  upon  matter ;  one  particle  of  matter  may 
draw  or  repel  another ;  but  neither  in  the  capacity  of  drawing  or 
being  drawn,  repelling  or  being  repelled,  can  we  find  anything 
that  bears  a  single  resemblance  to  thought.  He  argues,  most 
forcibly,  that  thought  cannot  be  the  result  of  "  motion,  in  the 
abstract ; "  that  matter  in  motion  is  as  destitute  of  thought  as 
matter  at  rest ;  the  same  in  the  cannon-ball,  flying  at  the  rate 
of  four  hundred  and  twenty  miles  an  hour,  as  when  safely 
lodged  in  the  chamber  of  the  cannon.  Neither  can  matter  be 
rendered  cogitative  by  adding  thought  to  it.  Thought,  or  con- 
sciousness, may  be  joined  to,  but  cannot  be  inherent  in  matter. 
It  may  be  appended  to  matter,  but  it  is  not,  it  cannot  be,  a  prop- 
erty or  attribute  of  matter.  Thought  or  consciousness,  when 
added  to  matter,  cannot,  by  any  method  of  reasoning,  be  shown 
to  become  a  property  of  matter.  They  may  be  separated,  and 
yet  leave  matter  as  perfect  as  before ;  not  having  deprived  matter 
of  one  of  its  essential  properties. 

It  is  possible  you  may  inquire,  "  What  does  the  author  to 
whom  you  refer  mean  by  '  adding  to  and  separating  thought 
from  matter '  ? "  I  answer,  were  he  alive  to  reply  for  himself,  1 
think  it  likely  he  would  turn  your  attention  to  Genesis  2:7,  — 
"And  the  Lord  God  formed  man  of  the  dust  of  the  ground." 
Here    is,   1st,  matter  in    its    separate   particles,   "dust  of  the 


THE    SOUL    NOT    MATERIAL.  351 

ground,"  but  without  thought.  2.  Matter  in  a  state  of  organiza- 
tion :  "  He  FORMED  man  of  the  dust  of  the  ground."  3.  Thus 
formed,  or  modelled  into  the  shape  of  man,  it  remained  thought- 
less, as  it  was  motionless.  4.  Here  you  behold  matter  in  a 
perfect  state  of  organization ;  perfect  as  it  could  be  in  all  its 
properties.  5.  Thought  was  still  wanting.  6.  This  required  a 
second  act  of  the  almighty  power  of  the  Creator.  "  Thought  and 
consciousness,"  though  not  essential  to  matter,  as  matter,  were 
yet  necessary  to  the  perfection  of  the  being  he  was  about  to  call 
into  existence.  7.  "  He  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of 
life,"  or,  as  the  original  has  it,  "  the  breath  of  lives,"  —  natural 
life,  spiritual  life,  eternal  life, —  and  "  man  became  a  living  soul." 
8.  At  death,  the  soul,  which  was  superadded  to  matter,  is  separ- 
ated from  it,  without  robbing  it  of  any  one  single  property  that 
originally  belonged  to  it;  hence  the  origin  and  nature  of  an 
immortal  and  immaterial  spirit  are  inferred.  You  inquire, 
"What  is  an  immaterial  spirit?  Why  call  it  immaterial?" 
To  this  I  reply :  Because  it  is  not  material,  not  matter,  but 
something  widely  distinct  from  it.  "  I  can  form  no  idea  of  an 
immaterial  substance." 

Be  it  so ;  but  this  is  the  principal  reason,  perhaps  the  only 
reason,  why  we  employ  a  negative  to  express  this  peculiarity  of 
an  immortal  soul.  It  is  because  we  know  of  nothing  in  the 
whole  visible  world  to  which  we  can  compare  the  soul,  that  we 
call  it  immaterial.  It  resembles  not  any  known  thing  within 
the  entire  range  of  our  acquaintance.  We  are,  therefore,  from 
the  nature  of  the  case,  compelled  to  say,  "  It  is  an  immaterial 
substance."  The  phase  is,  indeed,  an  imperfect  one.  It  is  an 
imperfection  which  seems  decreed  to  our  present  state,  and  must 
remain  till  we  know  even  as  also  we  are  known,  and  mortality 
is  swallowed  up  of  life. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

MISERY    OF   BACKSLIDERS. 

I  CANNOT  think  of  your  sad  case,  dear  backslider,  without 
recurring  to  the  following  mournful  lines ;  cadences,  which,  if 
I  am  not  mistaken,  will  find  an  echoing  response  in  the  wild 
workings  of  your  own  sorrow-stricken  heart : 

"  When  will  pass  away  from  this  sad  heart 
The  cloud  of  grief,  the  tempest  of  remorse? 
When  will  the  winged  hopes,  that  glanced  and  sang 
In  joy's  melodious  atmosphere,  return 
To  welcome  back  the  gladness  of  the  soul  ?  " 

I  tremble  when  I  realize  how  dreadfully  the  infinite  God  has 
fulfilled  his  own  declaration  in  your  unhappy  soul :  "  Thine  own 
wickedness  shall  correct  thee,  and  thy  backslidings  shall  reprove 
thee  ;  know,  therefore,  and  see  that  it  is  an  evil  thing  and  bitter, 
that  thou  hast  forsaken  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  that  my  fear  is 
not  in  thee,  saith  the  Lord  God  of  Hosts."  Jer.  2 :  19.  You 
now  see,  when  it  is  too  late,  the  joy  and  peace  you  have  lost. 
What  an  amount  of  real  and  solid  happiness  have  you  cast 
away !  Vilely  cast  away !  And  for  what  ?  Let  your  own 
heart  answer.  Is  it  a  secret  ?  Not  at  all.  The  thing  is  known. 
But  you  startlingly  inquire,  "What !  does  any  human  being  know 
the  matter,  but  yourself? "  Yes ;  it  is  fearfully  known  and  spread 
abroad  in  your  own  breast.  Are  you  not  aware  that  you  carry 
within  your  own  bosom  many  witnesses,  witnesses  which  can- 
not let  a  secret  sleep  ?  They  will  ring  it  through  the  conscience; 
and  the  crowded  halls  of  the  mind  will  reecho  with  the  whole 
affair.     You  have  probably  read  the  singular  declaration  of 

"  My  conscience  hath  a  thousand  several  tongues, 
And  every  tongue  brings  in  a  several  tale. 
And  every  tale  condemns  me  as  a  villain." 


MISERY    OF    BACKSLIDERS.  353 

"  There  is  no  such  thing,"  says  an  elegant  writer,  "  as  perfect 
secrecy,  to  encourage  a  rational  mind  to  the  perpetration  of  any 
base  action;  for  a  man  must  first  extinguish  and  put  out  the  great 
light  within  him,  his  conscience  ;  he  must  get  away  from  himself 
and  shake  off  the  thousand  witnesses  which  he  always  carries 
about  him,  before  he  can  be  alone." 

But  a  greater  than  either  has  said,  "  Knowing  that  he  that  is 
such  is  subverted,  and  sinneth,  being  condemned  of  himself;  " 
Titus  3  :  11 ;  et  peccat,  existens,  sponte  condemnxitus.  The  con- 
demnation he  feels  is  spontaneous;  it  requires  no  effort,  no 
pointed  rebukes  nor  exhortations,  in  order  to  produce  a  conscious- 
ness of  guilt.  It  is  there  already.  In  the  moment  of  sinning, 
the  seed  of  remorse  was  sown,  thickly  sown  over  the  heart. 
The  gain  of  guilty  pleasure  was  quickly  followed  by  a  percep- 
tion of  fearful  loss.  The  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  "  love,  joy,  peace^ 
long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,'^  had  no  sooner  been 
swept  away  from  the  heart,  than  they  were  succeeded  by  the 
bitter  and  abundant  fruits  of  sin.  A  sense  of  condemnation 
sprang  up  and  overspread  the  soul,  as  spontaneously  as  the  brier 
and  the  thorn  spring  up  in  the  uncultivated  field,  which  ask  not 
the  laborious  efforts  of  the  husbandman  to  produce  them.  How 
applicable  to  you  are  the  lines  of  the  old  poet, 

"What  bitter  pills, 
Composed  of  real  ills, 
Men  swallow  down  to  purchase  one  false  good  !  " 

An  old  writer  once  compared  siiiful  pleasures  to  bees ;  which, 
though  they  may  have  a  drop  of  honey  in  their  mouth,  the  tail 
of  each  is  armed  with  a  sting.  The  pleasures  of  sin  are  not 
unlike  the  locusts  described  in  Revelation  9 :  "  Crowns  like 
gold  on  their  heads,"  they  promised  much,  but  "  they  had  tails 
like  unto  scorpions."  This  you  have  found  out  by  sad  experi- 
ence. I  am  not  sure  but  that  the  above  poet  had  an  eye  to  the 
passage  quoted,  when  he  exclaimed, 

"  Alas!  thy  gains 
Are  only  present  pains, 
To  gather  scorpions  for  a  future  wound  ; 
'T  is  thus  the  world  her  votaries  beguiles 
With  fair  appearances,  and  kills  with  smiles  !  '• 
30=^ 


354  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Your  heart,  my  friend,  was  once  "  an  Eden  of  love,"  full  of 
Jwly  hope  and  humble  joy.  With  what  bitterness  have  you 
realized  how  sudden  and  how  successful  a  temptation  may  prove  I 
Ah !  how  lamentable,  that  you  should  have  lost,  in  one  single 
hmir,  the  fruit  of  all  the  toil  and  faithfulness  of  several  years ! 
You  may  well  say, 

"  I  leaped  desperate  from  my  guardian  rock, 
And  headlong  plunged  in  sin's  abyss  !  " 

You  have  now  formed  a  woful  acquaintance  with  that  of 
which  it  was  your  duty^  as  well  as  your  interest,  to  remain  in 
blissful  ignorance.  You  have  used  your  liberty,  and  gratified 
your  curiosity.  Passion  has  been  satiated.  But  conscience  has 
awoke  upon  you,  and  how  terrible  are  its  rebukes  !  It  was  the 
saying  of  an  individual,  that  "the  agonies  inflicted  by  the  wolf 
which  fed  on  the  life-stream  of  the  Spartan,  the  poison  injected 
by  the  tooth  of  the  viper,  or  the  three-fanged  sting  of  the  scor- 
pion, are  as  nothing  when  contrasted  with  the  torments  of  an 
accusing  conscience."  Who  can  endure  the  tremendous  upbraid- 
ings  of  this  faculty,  when  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  sheds  the 
fearful  light  of  the  divine  holiness  upon  the  guilty  soul  ?  Where 
is  the  man  who  has  sufficient  fortitude  to  sustain,  unflinchingly, 
such  a  visitation  ?  Inspiration  declares,  "  The  spirit  of  a  man 
will  sustain  his  infirmity,  but  a  wounded  spirit  who  can  bear?" 
What  a  comment  on  these  remarks,  as  well  as  upon  the  above 
text,  are  those  dying  acknowledgments  of  a  certain  sinner,  a  few 
hours  before  he  entered  eternity !  — 

"  As  for  a  Deity,  nothing  less  than  an  Almighty  could  inflict 
what  I  feel.  Didst  thou,"  said  he  to  a  friend  by  his  bed-side, 
"Didst  thou  feel  half  the  mountain  that  is  upon  me,  thou  wouldst 
struggle  with  the  martyr  for  his  stake,  and  bless  Heaven  for  the 
flames !  That  is  not  an  everlasting  flame ;  that  is  not  an  un- 
quenchable fire.  This  body  is  all  weakness  and  pain ;  but  my 
soul,  as  if  stung  up  by  torment  to  greater  strength  and  spirit,  is 
full  powerful  to  reason,  full  mighty  to  suffer ;  and  that  which 
now  triumphs  within  the  jaws  of  mortality  is  doubtless  im- 
mortal ! " 

A  few  years  ago,  I  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  sentiment 


MISERY    OF    BACKSLIDERS.  355 

of  an  American  author  upon  this  subject :  "  There  is  no  manli- 
ness or  fortitude  can  bear  up  under  the  horrors  of  guilt.  The 
thing  is  done ;  yet  it  rises  in  all  its  vivid  coloring  to  the  soul 
that  has  incurred  it,  overwhelming  it  with  remorse  and  despair. 
The  reproaches  of  conscience,  once  thoroughly  aroused,  can  never 
be  silenced  nor  borne.  They  come,  bringing  with  them  the  frown 
of  God.  They  bring  with  them  recollections  of  the  past,  which 
pierce  the  soul  with  anguish ;  and  terrific  forebodings  of  the 
future,  which  overwhelm  it  with  horror.  No  human  spirit  can 
sustain  its  energies  under  such  a  burden,  when  it  really  comes." 

I  recollect  meeting  with  the  following  sentiments  when  perus- 
ing a  French  writer :  "  The  pains  of  the  mind  are  as  lively  and 
as  sensible  as  those  of  the  body.  It  has  smitten  the  knees  of  a 
Belshazzar.  It  has  rendered  the  voluptuous  insensible  of  pleas- 
ure ;  and  has  put  many  a  wretch  upon  the  rack.  It  has  forced 
some,  who,  upon  scaffolds  and  wheels,  have  denied  their  crimes, 
after  a  release  to  confess  them.  It  has  compelled  them  to  find 
out  a  judge,  to  give  evidence  against  themselves,  and  to  implore 
the  mercy  of  a  violent  deaths  more  tolerable  than  the  agonies  of 
their  guilty  souls." 

But,  should  you  not  be  thankful  to  God,  that  such  feelings 
have  not  overtaken  you  upon  your  death-bed  ?  that,  when  you 
fell  from  God,  you  were  not  abandoned  to  hopeless  remorse  and 
despair,  or  to  total  insensibility  ?  This  has  been  the  case  with 
not  a  few.  You  will  probably  reply,  *'  In  my  case,  such  stupe- 
faction would  have  been  impossible.  I  have  enjoyed  too  much 
communion  with  God,  too  much  real  and  substantial  happiness 
in  the  relation  I  sustained  to  him,  ever  to  have  that  relation 
changed  or  destroyed,  without  being  alarmed  into  horror  by  such 
an  occurrence." 

I  must  conclude  by  a  word  of  encouragement.  You  must  not 
rush  into  sin  to  avoid  conviction,  nor  endeavor  to  shake  it  off. 
This  is  a  common  temptation.  It  l;as  ruined  thousands.  You 
cannot  get  away  from  yourself.  You  will  be  your  own  tormentor, 
till  you  turn  to  the  Gospel  hope.  Dare  to  look  \x^.  "Father, 
I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  in  thy  sight,  and  am  no  more 
worthy  to  be  called  thy  son."     It  is  enough.     Thy  Father  sees 


356  REVIVAL     MISCELLANIES. 

thy  heart.  He  knows  all  thy  feelings.  He  waits  to  be  gra- 
cious. He  is  ready  to  pardon.  Consider  the  case  of  the  prod- 
igal son :  "  And  he  arose  and  came  to  his  father ;  but  when  he 
was  yet  a  great  way  off,*"  just  as  you  feel  yourself  now,  "  his 
father  saw  him;"  a  father's  eye  can  see  a  great  distance,  espec- 
ially when  an  erring,  broken-hearted,  penitent  child  is  returning, 
one  for  whom  he  has  long  felt  the  yearnings  of  parental  aflfec- 
tion ;  "  and  had  compassion,  and  ran  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and 
kissed  him."  Here  is  a  touching  scene,  one  of  unutterable  ten- 
derness. And  he  does  not  give  the  prodigal  time  to  make  any. 
confession ;  he  is  embraced.  Ah,  his  slowly  returning  steps, 
his  starved  countenance,  ragged  limbs,  and  downcast  looks,  pro- 
claimed the  secret  workings  of  the  soul  to  the  eye  of  the  advanc- 
ing father.  All  the  father  was  in  his  eyes,  as  he  neared.  the 
returning  wanderer.  And  he  exclaimed,  "  This  is  my  son ;" 
and,  in  a  moment,  the  penitent  is  overwhelmed  with  tokens 
of  the  tenderest  affection.  The  confession  at  last  is  begun : 
"  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  in  thy  sight,  and 
am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son."  Here  he  is  stopped 
by  the  command  of  the  father  to  the  servants,  to  "  bring  forth 
the  best  robe  and  put  it  on  him."     See  Luke  15 :  22 — 24. 

Ah  I  you  say,  "  If  I  thought  God,  my  greatly  offended  God, 
but  once  affectionate  Father,  would  thus  receive  my  guilty  soul, 
I  would  not  remain  at  a  distance  from  him ;  but  he  never  can 
have  mercy  upon  such  a  wretch  as  I  am."  You  are  mistaken, 
my  dear  friend.  He  is  able  to  save  you  unto  the  uttermost ; 
and  if  you  come  unto  him  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  trusting  in  his 
atoning  blood,  you  shall  find  him  willing  also  to  heal  your  back- 
slidings,  and  to  restore  unto  you  the  joy  of  his  salvation. 

I  do  not  wonder  that  a  recollection  of  the  inward  heaven  you 
once  enjoyed  greatly  heightens  the  bitterness  of  your  distress ; 
nor  am  I  surprised  that  you  should  painfully  feel 

"  One  single  moment  of  deliberate  thought, 
And  cloudless  reason,  would  have  spared  me 
All  this  guilt  —  this  agony." 

The  following  comment  of  an  old  divine  on  Ezekiel  18:  24, 
though  written  some  centuries  ago,  is  as  applicable  to  you  as  if 


MISERY   OF   BACKSLIDERS.  357 

penned  yesterday,  and  with  direct  reference  to  yourself :  "Would 
it  not  vex  a  scrivener,  after  he  had  spent  many  days  and  much 
pains  upon  a  large  patent  or  lease,  to  make  such  a  blot  at  the 
last  word  that  he  should  be  forced  to  write  it  all  again  ?  Yet 
so  it  is,  that  as  one  foul  blot  or  dash  with  a  pen  defaceth  a 
whole  writing,  so  one  foul  sin  dasheth  and  obliterateth  the 
fairest  copy  of  a  virtuous  life ;  it  razeth  out  all  the  golden  char- 
acters of  divine  graces  imprinted  on  our  souls.  All  our  fastings 
and  prayers,  all  our  sighing  and  mourning  for  our  sins,  all  our 
exercises  of  piety,  all  our  deeds  of  charity,  all  our  sufferings  for 
righteousness,  all  the  good  thoughts  we  have  ever  conceived, 
all  the  good  words  we  have  ever  uttered,  all  the  good  works  we 
have  ever  performed,  — in  a  word,  all  our  righteousness  is  lost 
at  the  very  instant  when  we  resolve  to  turn  from  it.  As  one 
drop  of  ink  coloreth  a  whole  glass  of  clear  water,  so  one  sinful 
and  shameful  action  staineth  all  our  former  life  ;  yet  this  is  not 
the  worst,  for  it  followeth,  '  In  his  trespass  that  he  hath  tres- 
passed, and  in  his  sin  that  he  hath  sinned,  in  them  shall  he 
die.' " 

I  have  seen  the  remark  somewhere,  in  the  course  of  my  read- 
ing, that  it  has  been  supposed,  that  between  the  time  of  Satan's 
triumph  over  our  first  parents,  and  the  conning  of  God  to  walk 
in  the  garden,  one  night  intervened.  This  is  but  a  conjecture  ; 
yet  it  is  not  unlikely  that  God  did  let  them  feel  themselves  a 
little.  It  appears  they  had  time  to  contrive  aprons  of  fig-leaves 
for  themselves  :  "And  they  sewed  fig-leaves  together,  and  made 
themselves  aprons."  If  the  above  supposition  be  correct,  oh ! 
what  a  dreadful  night  they  must  have  spent !  What  horror  of 
soul !  What  fearful  forebodings  !  Nor  is  it  likely  they  had  the 
heavenly  visitants,  as  in  the  happy  nights  of  their  innocence,  so 
beautifully  expressed  by  Milton : 

"  How  often,  from  the  steep 
Of  echoing  hill  or  thicket,  have  we  heard 
Celestial  voices  to  the  midnight  air, 
Sole,  or  responsive  each  to  other's  note, 
Singing  their  great  Creator !  oft  in  bands 
While  they  keep  watch,  or  nightly  rounding  walk, 


358  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

With  heavenly  touch  of  instrumental  sounds 
In  full  harmonic  number  joined,  their  songs 
Divide  the  night,  and  lift  our  thoughts  to  heaven." 

All  these  had,  perhaps,  fled  to  heaven  as  messengers  to  the 
celestial  hosts  of  the  dread  intelligence  of  Adam's  fall. 

And  the  elements, — were  they  immediately  changed  ?  Milton 
thought  so,  when  he  tells  us  that  no  sooner  had  Eve  plucked 
and  eaten  the  forbidden  fruit  than 

"  Earth  felt  the  wound,  and  nature  from  her  seat, 
Sighing  through  all  her  works,  gave  signs  of  woe, 
That  all  was  lost." 

If  the  heavens,  on  that  dreadful  night,  w^ere  muffled  with 
clouds, — if  the  forked  lightning  and  the  rattling  thunder  blazed 
and  vollied  along  the  threatening  skies, — if  the  winds  were 
raging,  and  the  dark  tempest  was  let  loose  upon  the  once  peace- 
ful Eden, — what  horror  must  have  seized  the  guilty  pair !  The 
expositor  within  their  own  breasts  would,  no  doubt,  give  a  faith- 
ful exposition  of  the  meaning  of  that  angry  storm.  Perhaps  the 
presence  of  such  warring  elements  was  little  needed.  The 
fearful  conviction  of  guilt  was  present.  Conscience,  doubtless, 
had  raised  a  storm  within.  And  the  powerful  voice  of  that 
vicegerent  of  the  Almighty  was  far  more  dreadful  to  the  soul 
than  the  loudest  discharges  of  heaven's  artfllery.  If  there  were 
such  a  space  of  time  between  their /aZZ  and  the  merciful  visita- 
tion of  their  Creator,  may  it  not  have  been  necessary,  in  order 
that  they  should  taste  the  unmixed  bitterness  of  sin,  and  to 
prepare  them,  with  adoring  gratitude,  to  hear  the  gladdening 
news  of  the  promised  atonement  ? 

Whether  we  are  right  in  all  our  conjectures  respecting  our 
first  parents,  is  not,  I  apprehend,  material.  But  it  gives  me  an 
opportunity  of  saying,  that  it  seems  to  me  you  have  passed 
through  scenes  of  mental  anguish  similar,  in  many  respects; 
and  that  now,  through  the  blessed  Spirit,  you  are  prepared  to 
receive  the  boon  of  salvation.  You  have  no  disposition  to  fly 
from  the  presence  of  God.  You  seem  rather  to  say,  with  poor 
Job,  who  was  sorely  afiiicted  both  in  body  and  mind,  —  "  O  that 


MISERY    OF    BACKSLIDERS.  359 

I  knew  where  I  might  find  him  !  that  I  might  come  even  to  his 
seat !  I  w^ould  order  my  cause  before  him,  and  fill  my  mouth 
with  arguments.  Behold,  I  go  forward,  but  he  is  not  there ; 
and  backward,  but  I  cannot  perceive  him :  on  the  left  hand, 
where  he  doth  work,  but  I  cannot  behold  him  :  he  hideth  him- 
self on  the  right  hand,  that  I  cannot  see  him."  Neither  do  you 
attempt  to  palliate  or  excuse  your  sin,  nor  blame  any  one  but 
yourself;  the  justice  of  your  condemnation  you  readily  confess, 
and  can  never  forgive  your  apostasy  from  God,  These  are 
signs  of  real  repentance.  They  cannot  be  mistaken.  And  I 
am  as  certain  as  that  I  have  an  existence,  if  you  persevere,  God 
will  be  found  of  you,  to  the  joy  of  your  heart.  He  will  "  heal 
your  backslidings,  and  love  yow  freely."  Has  he  not  com- 
manded you  to  return,  saying,  "  Keturn,  0  backsliding  Israel, 
saith  the  Lord !  "  And  what  is  his  positive  promise,  in  the  same 
chapter  ?  Hear  it  for  your  comfort :  "  And  I  will  not  cause 
mine  anger  to  fall  upon  you ;  for  I  am  merciful,  saith  the  Lord, 
and  I  will  not  keep  mine  anger  forever."  Hear  also  the  follow- 
ing declaration  from  the  Lord  thy  God.  O  infinite  condescen- 
sion !  boundless  love !  "  Turn,  O  backsliding  children,  saith  the 
Lord,  for  I  am  married  unto  you"  Read  the  chapter  upon  your 
knees  from  which  I  have  made  these  extracts,  —  Jeremiah  3. 

Fear  not,  "  The  Lord  whom  ye  seek  shall  suddenly  come  to 
his  temple."  In  the  cool  of  the  day,  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy 
God  will  be  heard  in  the  garden  of  his  promises,  proclaiming 
mercy  to  your  troubled  soul.  He  is  near  who  justifieth,  who 
forgiveth  iniquity,  transgression  and  sin.  Lo !  he  comes  not  to 
condemn,  but  to  give  life  everlasting.  "  If  any  man  sin,  we 
have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous : 
and  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins ;  and  not  for  ours  only, 
but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world." 

"  O  believe  the  record  true, 

God  to  you  his  Son  hath  given." 

Be  patient,  restless,  resigned,  yet  vehement  in  your  supplica- 
tions for  mercy.  "  From  the  days  of  John  the  Baptist  until 
now,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  suflfereth  violence,  and  the  violent 


360  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

take  it  by  force."  Repeat  the  following  verses  upon  your  knees, 
—  perhaps  you  can  sing  them,  —  and  expect  the  great  salvation 
every  moment  by  faith;  that  is,  trust  in  the  merits  of  the 
atoning  blood  of  Jesus  Christ :  — 

"  My  suffering,  slain,  and  risen  Lord, 
In  sore  distress  I  turn  to  thee  ; 
I  claim  acceptance  in  thy  word,  . 
Jesus,  my  Saviour,  ransom  me. 

"  Prostrate  before  thy  mercy  seat, 
I  dare  not,  if  I  would,  despair ; 
None  ever  perished  at  thy  feet, 
And  I  will  lie  forever  there." 

IP 

Your  experience  brings  to  my  remembrance  a  sentiment 
uttered  by  a  minister  of  Jesus,  now  with  God.  "  When  a  soul 
is  convinced  of  sin,  Jesus  throws  into  it  a  portion  of  that  fire,  if 
I  may  so  speak,  which  was  kindled  in  his  own  breast  when  he 
died  on  Calvary." 

You  ask,  —  and  there  is  no  doubt  the  inquiry  agonizes  you, — 
"  Why  is  it  that  I  do  not  obtain  the  blessing  for  which  I  am 
crying  to  God  day  and  night  ?  '  I  water  my  couch  with  my 
tears  ;  they  are  my  meat  day  and  night.'  I  believe  Christ  died 
for  me.  I  endeavor  to  trust  in  the  merits  of  the  atonement  with 
all  my  heart ;  but  the  billows  cease  not  to  roll  over  me.  The 
tempest  agitates  vay  soul,  and  there  is  no  deliverance,  no  salva- 
tion ;  I  am  lost,  lost  forever !  "  Not  so,  not  so ;  hope  thou  in 
God,  for  thou  shalt  yet  praise  him.  Though  deep  calleth  unto 
deep  at  the  noise  of  his  water-spouts,  —  though  all  his  waves 
and  his  billows  go  over  thee,  —  the  Lord  will  yet  command  his 
loving-kindness  in  the  day-time,  and  in  the  night  his  song  shall 
be  with  thee,  and  thy  prayer  to  the  God  of  thy  life. 

But,  "  Why  is  it  that  I  do  not  obtain  the  blessing  for  which  I 
am  crying  to  God  day  and  night  ? "  The  reasons  may  be  vari- 
ous. To  impute  the  delay  of  the  blessing  to  any  arbitrary 
determination  or  secret  purpose  of  God  is  dangerous,  and  con- 
trary to  the  general  tenor  of  Scripture.  Whenever  an  individual 
humbly  repents,  and  unfeignedly  believes  the  Gospel,  he  is  made, 


MISERY    OF    BACKSLIDERS.  361 

that  moment,  the  partaker  of  God's  convertingr  grace.  Pardon 
is  then  and  there  imparted ;  and  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad 
in  the  heart,  by  the  Holy  Ghost  given  unto  him. 

I  could  imagine  circumstances  which  might  seem  to  render 
necessary  a  procrastination  of  salvation  on  the  part  of  God ;  but 
I  always  feel  afraid  to  utter  a  single  sentiment  that  would  seem 
to  contradict  the  universal  applicability  of  that  beautiful  and 
conclusive  declaration  of  God  himself,  "  Behold,  now  is  the 
accepted  time  :  behold,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation."  But,  with 
,  reverential  awe,  I  would  suggest  it  as  a  possible  thing  that  he 
may  see  something  in  your  case  to  justify  the  keeping  of  you 
for  a  season  in  your  present  state.  The  cup  of  penitential  grief 
has  been  put  into  your  hands,  filled  with  the  wormwood  and  the 
gall ;  be  willing  to  drink  it  to  the  dregs ;  it  must  have  a  tend- 
ency, when  you  are  restored,  to  secure  your  future  faithfulness. 

Reflect  upon  the  past ;  may  you  not  learn  an  important  lesson 
from  the  retrospect  ?  Can  you  make  any  discovery  of  what  led 
you  into  this  trouble  ?  Have  you  failed  to  detect  a  pr oneness  in 
you  to  that  very  sin  which  has  led  to  your  apostasy  ?  Have 
there  not  been  many  instances  in  which  you  have  felt  the 
strongest  impulses  toward  it,  when  nothing  but  the  want  of 
opportunity,  or  the  controlling  grace  of  God,  could  have  restrained 
you  from  it  ?  This  was  the  sin  of  your  nature,  and  from  which 
the  greatest  danger  is  still  to  be  apprehended.  The  apostle  calls 
it  "the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us;"  —  that  to  which 
we  are  most  inclined,  and  which  has  the  greatest  influence  over 
us.  Now,  it  would  seem,  that  God  intends  to  make  you  feel 
the  plague  of  this  prevailing  evil  of  your  sinful  nature,  and  taste 
the  bitter  consequences  of  its  indulgence,  that  you  may  care- 
fully avoid,  in  future,  the  occasion  of  your  present  wretchedness. 
Temptations  may  yet  assail  you,  after  your  adoption  into  the 
family  of  God ;  from  falling  into  which,  perhaps,  nothing  would 
contribute  so  effectually  to  save  you  as  a  terrifying  remem- 
brance of  what  you  are  now  suflfering.  God  may  be  teaching 
you  the  evil  nature  of  sin,  by  a  lesson  awfully  severe.  I  am 
fully  persuaded  salvation  will  come,  —  it  is  very  near. 
31 


362  REVIVAi    MISCELLANIES. 

"  Haste,  my  Lord,  no  more  delay  ; 
Come,  my  Saviour,  come  away." 

See !  the  arms  of  your  compassionate  Saviour  are  outstretched 
to  receive  you.  Fly,  oh,  fly  into  those  arms  of  everlasting-  love  I 
He  will  not,  he  cannot,  spurn  you  away.  Can  you  doubt  the 
sincerity  of  his  invitation,  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and 
are  heavy  laden  "  ?  Dare  you  suspect  the  veracity  of  his  sacred 
promise,  —  "  And  I  will  give  you  rest :"  "  Him  that  cometh  to  me 
I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out "  ?  It  is  enough,  my  Lord !  He  does 
believe  !  He  cannot  doubt !  He  comes  to  thee  as  a  helpless,  guilty 
sinner !     O,  let  him  see  thy  face  and  live  ! 

Your  distressing  case  reminds  me  of  an  affecting  incident 
connected  with  the  explosion  of  the  American  steamer  Pulaski, 
a  few  years  ago.  The  vessel  was  on  her  voyage  from  Savannah 
to  the  city  of  New  York.  In  a.  dangerous  sea,  and  in  the  dead 
hour  of  the  night,  the  boiler  burst,  and  about  one  hundred  souls 
were  launched  into  eternity. 

The  vessel  was  torn  to  pieces ;  and,  upon  a  few  fragments  of 
the  wreck,  with  the  mast  lying  across  it,  a  number  of  human 
beings  floated  out  to  sea.  They  continued  to  drift  further  and 
further  from  land,  till  nothing  but  sky  and  water  met  their  view. 
During  four  days  the  scorching  sun  poured  his  rays  upon  their 
almost  naked  bodies,  till  they  were  blistered.  They  had  no  food 
to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger;  their  tongues  were  parched 
with  thirst;  and  to  drink  the  salt  water  they  knew  would  only 
increase  the  dreadful  feeling. 

A  hint  was  given  by  one  of  the  sufferers,  that,  in  order  to  save 
themselves  from  death,  they  should  cast  lots  who  should  die  for 
the  sustenance  of  the  rest;  but  the  idea  of  eating  the  flesh  and 
drinking  the  blood  of  a  fellow-being  was  so  dreadfully  repulsive, 
it  was  rejected  with  horror.  As  they  were  gazing  intensely  into 
the  far-off  horizon,  they  were  cheered  with  what  at  first  appeared 
a  dark  spot,  but  which  soon  brightened  into  a  sail.  They  raised 
their  little  flag  of  distress,  but  it  was  unnoticed,  and  the  vessel 
disappeared.  After  some  time,  another  hove  in  view,  but  the 
signal  was  not  seen,  and  she  vanished  away.  In  like  manner 
two  others  appeared,  but,  to  their  anguish,  they  also  passed  out 


MISERY    OF    BACKSLIDERS.  363 

of  sight.  "Hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick,"  says  the 
inspired  writer;  —  so  they  felt. 

After  several  hours  had  elapsed,  another  sail  appeared;  it 
seemed  as  if  it  was  pasted  on  the  sky.  Soon  its  shape  altered. 
The  outlines  of  a  vessel  could  now  be  traced;  and,  to  their 
trembling  joy,  seemed  to  be  nearing  them.  Ah  !  the  captain  of 
that  ship  little  thought  how  many  eyes  were  fixed  with  a  gaze 
of  agony  upon  the  white  sails  of  his  stately  vessel.  They 
hoisted  their  signal  of  distress  once  more,  and  uttered  their 
feeble  cries.  But,  alas !  she  also  appeared  to  be  shaping  her 
course  in  another  direction.  One  poor  fellow,  who  had  been 
dreadfully  scalded,  looked  himself  into  despair,  cried  out,  "  She 
is  gone !  "  and  laid  him  down  to  die. 

The  time  of  extremity  was  God's  opportunity  :  one  eye  from 
that  vessel  caught  the  signal;  the  word  was  passed  to  the  deck, 
and  resounded  through  the  ship,  "  A  wreck !  —  a  wreck !  "  In  a 
few  moments  she  began  to  bear  down  towards  them.  One  of 
the  sufferers,  perceiving  the  change  in  her  course,  uttered  the 
cry,  "  She  sees  us  !  she  is  coming  towards  us  !  "  Nearing  them 
rapidly,  a  short  time  only  elapsed,  which  they  employed  in 
thanksgiving  to  God,  when  the  vessel  loomed  up  a  short  distance 
from  them,  and  the  clangor  of  the  captain's  trumpet  rang  over 
the  waves,  "Be  of  good  cheer;  I  will  save  you!"  I  need 
scarcely  tell  you  they  were  soon  on  board,  filled  with  adoring 
gratitude  to  God,  and  thanksgivings  to  their  deliverer. 

I  remarked,  in  the  commencement  of  this  letter,  that  your  state 
of  soul  reminded  me  of  the  perilous  condition  of  these  shipwrecked 
passengers.  You  were  sailing  onward  to  heaven  with  a  happy 
soul,  and  the  breezes  of  grace  were  propitious.  But  an  explosion 
took  place,  to  the  astonishment  of  heaven ;  and  you  made  "  ship- 
wreck of  faith,  and  of  a  good  conscience.'*  Thank  God,  you  have 
not  gone  down  to  hell,  like  many  other  backsliders.  You  have 
floated  out  upon  the  mere  fragments  of  your  hopes,  into  the 
ocean  of  despair.     Of  you  it  may  be  well  said, 

"His  passage  lies  across  the  brink 
Of  many  a  threatening  wave  ! 
And  hell  expects  to  see  him  sink, 
But  Jesus  lives  to  save  !  " 


364  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

Yes,  "  Jesus  lives  to  save ; "  and  it  is  written,  "  He  is  able  to 
save  unto  the  uttermost." 

The  promises  have  been  obscured  from  the  eye  of  your  faith 
by  strong  temptation.  Again  and  again  you  have  found  your- 
self unable  to  reach  them ;  and,  like  the  vessels  which  hovered 
for  a  little  before  the  vision  of  those  distressed  persons,  and  then 
vanished,  so  have  the  promises  to  your  apprehension.  But  the 
God  of  the  promises  is  at  hand.  Fear  not,  —  your  signals  of  dis- 
tress are  seen  from  heaven.  There  is  an  end,  and  your  expecta- 
tion shall  not  be  cut  off.  The  captain  of  your  salvation  has  left 
the  skies  for  your  help.  He  is  this  hour  drawing  nearer  to  your 
soul.  You  may  say,  for  your  own  encouragement,  "  He  sees 
me !  He  sees  me  !  He  is  coming  towards  me  !  "     He  is ;  see ! 

"  Lo !  on  the  wings  of  love  he  flies, 
And  brings  salvation  nigh  ! " 

"Only  believe,  and  thou  shalt  see  the  salvation  of  God." 
"  All  things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth."  Do  you  not 
already  hear  the  voice  of  your  great  deliverer,  "  Be  of  good 
cheer, — I  will  save  you  !  "  Soon,  very  soon,  you  shall  be  rescued 
from  your  distressed  situation  ;  and,  with  adoring  gratitude,  fall 
at  the  feet  of  your  gracious  Saviour,  and  confess  him  "  mighty 
to  save." 


CHAPTER    XX. 

CHRIST   A    backslider's    SAVIOUR. 

Unbelief  is  ever  ingenious  in  the  invention  of  instruments 
wherewith  to  torture  the  soul.  You  say, '"  It  was  suggested  to 
me  the  other  day,  and  it  stung  my  soul  to  desperation,  We  find 
in  Scripture  many  who  were  desperately  sick,  cured  by  our 
Saviour;  but  where  do  we  read  in  all  the  Gospel  of  any  man's 
eyes  twice  enlightened  ?  of  any  deaf  ears  twice  opened  ?  of 
any  tied  tongues  twice  loosened  ?  of  any  possessed  with  devils 
twjce  dispossessed  ?  No  doubt  Christ  could  have  repeated  these 
miracles ;  but  where  do  we  read  that  he  ever  did  so  ?  " 

This  may  be  correct  enough,  and  it  is  not  improper,  perhaps, 
to  make  it  an  alarming  argument  against  returning  to  sin;  but 
to  infer  that,  because  we  do  not  find  a  single  instance  recorded 
of  Christ  re-healing  any  who  had  relapsed  into  affliction,  there- 
fore there  is  no  hope  for  the  backslider,  is  a  mere  assump- 
tion. If  none  had  a  second  miracle  performed  upon  their  person, 
it  was  probably  because  none  had  fallen  again  under  the  power 
of  disease,  during  the  remaining  period  of  our  Lord's  ministry ; 
or,  that  circumstances  may  have  precluded  their  second  applica- 
tion ;  but  it  remains  to  be  proved  that  Christ  would  not  have 
been  gracious  a  second  time  to  a  wretched  invalid.  To  reason 
thus,  is  to  set  up  a  defective  supposition  in  contradiction  to  the 
plainest  declarations  and  promises  of  Scripture,  Jeremiah  3  :  12 
— 14;  Hosea  14:  4.  It  is,  also,  against  matter  of  fact,  and  the 
history  of  the  church,  from  the  day  backslidden  Peter  was 
restored  to  the  favor  of  his  Lord,  down  to  our  own  times,  in 
which  instances  to  the  contrary  are  most  numerous.  If  the 
above  sentiment  has  left  a  remaining  tinge  upon  your  mind, 
may  the  following  considerations  entirely  erase  it :  First.  If  th<» 
31* 


366  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

sick  are  healed  in  answer  to  prayer,  or  by  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  medicine,  it  is  Christ  still  exerting  his  healing  power ;  but 
multitudes  have  been  thus  raised  up,  more  than  twice  or  thrice, 
in  each  individual  case.  Second.  The  Lord  Jesus  has  lately 
restored  many  wretched  backsliders  in  this  city. 

You  go  on  to  say,  "My  sin  is  ever  before  my  mind,  and  the 
constant  recognition  of  it  distracts  and  terrifies  my  soul."  This 
proves  that  the  mind  has  a  looking  faculty,  as  well  as  the  body. 
When  the  eye  looks  at  Hack  or  red^  the  mind  is  conscious  of 
corresponding  sensations.  It  is  the  same  with  the  eye  of  the 
mind ;  emotions  are  produced  in  the  soul  in  accordance  with  the 
object  that  fixes  its  regard,  whether  it  be  the  Hack  and  heinous 
nature  of  sin  committed,  or  the  crimson  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  was  the  atonement  for  it.  Now,  so  sure  as  you  have 
power  to  command  your  bodily  eyes,  you  have  equal  pov/er  to 
control  the  looking  faculty  of  your  soul.  The  Psalmist  said, 
"  My  sin  is  ever  before  me ;  "  but  he  also  added,  "  I  have  set  the 
Lord  always  before  me ;  "  and  you  can  do  the  same.  0,  think 
of  "  Christ  and  him  crucified  !  " 

My  heart  was  made  better,  several  years  ago,  when  reading  a 
most  affecting  account  of  an  aged  Christian.  It  is  with  some 
hesitation  I  insert  it  in  this  letter,  lest  you  would  consider  it 
foreign  in  the  great  end  I  had  in  writing  to  you.  But  hoping 
that  it  may  serve  to  relieve  and  cheer  your  mind  for  a  few 
moments  by  turning  it  off  itself,  if  I  may  use  the  expression,  I 
will  relate  it : 

An  aged  American  Christian  had  entered  upon  those  few  last 
hours  in  human  existence  which  God  has  set  apart  for  the  work 
of  dying.  A  long  life  of  usefulness  had  drawn  the  affections  of 
his  country  around  him.  Nearly  one  hundred  years  had  he 
sojourned  upon  the  earth;  but  his  days  were  numbered.  The 
lady  who  related  the  circumstance  tells  us  that  she  stood  by  his 
bed-side,  when  a  message  of  love  was  conveyed  to  his  ear  from 
a  friend,  a  fellow-statesman,  — one  to  whom  he  was  united  by  the 
strongest  bonds  of  friendship,  in  years  long  gone  by.  But  the 
aged  man  had  totally  forgotten  the  friend  of  his  early  years. 
These  links  of  friendship,  once  so  delicately  interwoven  with  his 


CHRIST 


367 


very  being,  had  all  been  broken.  She  endeavored  to  restore  his 
recollection ;  but,  alas !  a  great  gulf  was  between  his  mind  and 
the  remembrance  of  the  past.  The  name  and  the  image  of  his 
friend  had  fled  from  his  memory,  and  could  not  be  recalled. 

A  vase  of  massy  silver  was  brought  before  him,  on  which  his 
country  had  caused  to  be  sculptured  the  record  of  his  services 
and  her  gratitude.  He  gazed  vacantly  upon  it,  but  no  chord  of 
association  vibrated.  The  love  of  honorable  distinction,  so  long 
burning  like  a  perpetual  incense-flame  on  the  altar  of  a  great 
mind,  had  forsaken  its  temple.  Her  eyes  filled  as  she  gazed  at 
the  mournful  wreck  of  mental  power ;  feeling,  doubtless,  that  no 
darkness  is  so  great  as  that  which  overshadows  and  extinguishes 
the  glorious  light  of  mind.  An  individual  at  that  moment  hap- 
pened to  mention  the  name  of  God,  "  the  God  of  all  grace ; " 
and  his  lips,  till  now  so  still  and  motionless,  began  to  tremble; 
his  cold  blue  eye  sparkled  through  the  frost  of  death ;  his  thin, 
bloodless  hand  clasped  hers ;  and,  with  a  startling  energy,  he 
repeated  the  following  lines  : 

"When  by  the  whelming  tempest  borne 
High  o'er  the  broken  wave, 
I  knew  thou  wert  not  slow  to  hear, 
Nor  impotent  to  save." 

And  as  she  passed  down  the  avenue  from  the  patriarchal  man- 
sion, she  said,  the  voice  of  this  aged  saint  of  God,  lifted  up  in 
prayer,  fell  upon  her  ear ;  and  she  learned  the  further  lesson, 
that  the  spirit  of  prayer  may  survive  when  intellectual  endow- 
ments, and  the  consciousness  of  high  renown,  have  been  alike 
totally  effaced  from  the  tablet  of  the  memory. 

I  wish,  my  dear  friend,  if  the  thing  were  possible,  you  could 
in  some  way  be  separated  from  that  remembrance  of  the  past, 
which  seems  not  only  to  terrify  you,  but  to  drive  you  away  from 
Jesus.  I  could  wish,  vain  as  the  desire  may  be,  that  the  links 
which  connect  you  with  those  painful  transgressions  were  broken 
off,  in  some  sort,  as  in  the  case  of  this  aged  Christian ;  at  least, 
that  a  moment's  respite  might  be  afforded  you,  to  turn  the  dis- 
tracted eye  of  your  soul  to  the  "  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world:'     I  would  ask  for  you  what  poor  Job  so 


368  •  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

mournfully  desired  for  himself,  "  Hoiv  long  wilt  thou  not  depart 
from  mCy  nor  let  me  alone  till  I  swallow  down  my  spittle  ?  "  So 
that,  forgetting  all  past  associations,  all  your  past  sins,  your 
present  unworthiness,  —  losing  yourself,  so  to  speak,  in  the  con- 
templation of  the  glories  of  redemption,  so  completely  absorbed 
in  the  adoration  of  that  name  ^^  which  is  above  every  name^^  — 
Jesus,  —  as  to  extinguish  every  other  remembrance.  And  if 
you  wish  to  repeat  a  few  lines,  like  the  servant  of  God  referred 
to  above,  here  they  are  for  you : 

''  Before  the  throne  my  Saviour  stands, 

My  Friend  and  Advocate  appears  ; 
My  name  is  graven  on  his  hands, 

And  him  the  Father  always  hears  ; 
While  low  at  Jesus'  cross  I  bow, 
He  hears  the  blood  of  sprinkling  now." 

A  certain  poet  might  well  say  of  the  name  of  Jesus,  that  it 
was 

"  The  talisman  and  spell 
Of  the  Gospel's  earlier  hour." 

It  cleansed  the  lepers,  healed  the  lame,  unsealed  the  deafest 
ear,  unchained  the  speechless  tongue,  tore  away  from  the  heart 
sorrow's  darkest  veil.  It  had  only  to  be  uttered,  and  a  flood  of 
cloudless  light  irradiated  the  hitherto  darkened  eye-balls.  At  its 
sounds  the  fever  fled  away ;  but  mentioned^  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
descended,  and  thousands  were  converted  to  God.  Devils  obeyed 
the  authority  of  its  ijiandate,  and  came  out  of  the  possessed,  and 
fled  in  terror  to  their  native  hell.  "  Handkerchiefs  or  aprons," 
brought  from  the  person  of  the  apostle,  when  applied  to  the  sick 
or  the  possessed,  calling  over  them,  the  name  of  Jesus,  the  dis- 
eases departed,  and  the  evil  spirits  went  out.  It  was  but  uttered^ 
and  the  ankle-bones  of  cripples  received  strength ;  proclaiming, 
by  walking,  leaping,  and  praising  God,  how  powerful  the  charm 
of  that  wondrous  name. 

The  miraculous  power  attending  its  utterance  extorted  the 
humbling  inquiry,  from  the  tribunal  of  the  persecutors,  '■''By  what 
'power ^  or  by  lohat  name,  have  ye  done  this  ?  "  The  miracle  was 
wrought;  this  they  could  not  deny;  but  the  secret  power,  spell, 


CHRIST    A    backslider's    SAVIOUR.  •  369 

or  charm,  by  which  the  thing  was  done,  excited  their  most 
intense  inquiry.  Triumphant  Peter,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
standing  up  sublimely  among  his  wondering  foes,  his  eye  lighted 
up  with  holy  transport,  announced  the  secret  in  a  tone  of  flame, 
"  By  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth,  whom  ye  crucifiedy 
whom  God  raised  from  the  dead,  even  by  him.  doth  this  man  stand 
here  before  ymi  wholeJ*^  Yes,  the  name  of  Jesus  was  associated 
with  every  splendid  achievement  in  the  early  days  of  the  Gospel 
triumph.  "  The  pure  believing  multitude'^  were  drawn  together 
by  the  music  of  that  name.  In  every  deliverance  from  bloody 
persecution,  and  after  every  conquest  which  the  Gospel  achieved 
in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  their  select  meetings  resounded  with 
the  confident  exclamations,  "  Sign^  and  wonders  may  be  done  by 
the  name  of  thy  holy  child,  Jesu^." 

Dear  sir,  there  is  yet  an  omnipotence  in  that  precious  name. 
It  is,  to  the  present  day,  "  The  true  Christian  talisman."  It  has 
lost  nothing  of  its  ancient  power.  I  have  seen  thousands  con- 
verted by  it ;  of  each  of  whom  we  could  say,  to  astonished  ob- 
servers, what  St.  Peter  said  to  the  amazed  multitudes,  when 
they  saw  the  cripple,  who  had  long  sat  at  the  gate  called  Beau- 
tiful beggings  now  leaping  and  praising  God :  "  And  his  name, 
through  faith  in  his  name,  hath  made  this  man  strong,  ichom  yc 
see  and  know;  yea,  the  faith  which  is  by  him  hath  given  him  this 
perfect  soundness  in  the  presence  of  you  all.''^ 

An  old  divine  has  somewhere  said,  "  There  is  majesty  implied 
in  the  name  God.  There  is  independent  being  in  Jehovah. 
There  is  power  in  Lord.  There  is  unction  in  Christ.  There 
is  affinity  in  Immanuel  ;  intercession  in  Mediator  ;  and  help  in 
Advocate;  but  there  is  salvation  in  no  other  name  under  heaven, 
but  the  name  of  JESUS."     Acts  4 :  12. 

A  few  months  before  I  left  America,  I  had  the  privilege  of 
witnessing  a  very  extensive  revival  of  religion,  in  a  certain  place. 
One  night  I  was  peculiarly  interested  in  the  case  of  an  individ- 
ual who  was  at  the  altar,  with  many  others,  for  the  instruction 
and  prayers  of  the  servants  of  God.  Her  cries  and  tears  were 
very  affecting,  and  really  alarming.  When  spoken  to,  she  said 
that  during  twenty  years  she  had  been  under  concern  for  her 


370  •  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

soul,  but  had  never  yet  been  converted  to  God  ;  adding,  that  she 
was  710W  determined,  if  mercy  were  to  be  found,  not  to  rest  till 
she  obtained  it.  The  meeting  closed,  and  she  left  the  house  in 
great  distress  of  mind.  No  sooner  had  she  arrived  at  home 
than  she  fell  down  upon  her  knees,  weeping  in  agony,  and  plead- 
ing for  salvation,  as  if  she  would  not  be  denied.  A  dear  brother, 
who  was  happy  in  the  love  of  God,  went  to  her  at  the  moment 
when  she  was  saying,  "  Lord,  here  is  my  heart,  I  give  it  to  thee 
this  night.  O,  have  mercy  upon  me,  a  sinner!"  She  repeated 
the  words  over  and  over  again,  with  the  deepest  emotion.  The 
brother  saw  there  was  a  deficiency,  both  in  her  faith  and  prayer, 
and  immediately  supplied  the  defect, — bringing  Christ  crucified 
before  her  mind,  —  and  insisted  that  Jesus  should  be  in  her  sup- 
plication. "  Say,'  for  Jesus'  sake,"  urged  the  brother.  This, 
for  some  time,  she  positively  refused  to  do.  "  Say,  for  Jesus' 
sake,"  he  again  reiterated ;  but,  driven  on  by  a  sense  of  her  sins, 
she  appeared  firm  in  the  determination  to  avoid  that  name. 
"Say,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus,"  he  again  urged,  "and  God  will 
bless  you."  At  last,  almost  suffocated  with  sorrow  and  distress, 
she  feebly  said,  "  Have  mercy  upon  me,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus." 
"  That  is  right,"  said  the  brother ;  "  repeat  it  again."  "  Have 
mercy !  "  &c.  "  Pray  on,"  said  he,  "  for  Jesus'  sake."  She  did 
so,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  unbelief  fled  away ;  faith  triumphed  ; 
the  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all  understanding,  filled  her 
happy  soul,  and  she  rejoiced  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory. 

But  you  inquire,  "  Have  you  ever  known  a  case  so  desperate 
as  mine  which  resulted  in  salvation  ?"  Yes,  many.  Vast  num- 
bers of  those  I  have  seen  brought  to  God  were  pressed  with  their 
sins,  like  a  cart  beneath  its  sheaves,  until  they  despaired  of 
mercy  for  a  time ;  and  the  Lord  Jesus,  by  faith  in  his  mighty 
name,  saved  them. 

Come,  then,  my  unhappy  friend,  come  to  Jesus.  Say  in  your 
heart,  and  suit  the  action  of  your  soul  to  the  words, 

"  From  sin  and  fear,  from  grief  and  shame, 
I  hide  me,  Jesus,  in  thy  name." 


CHRIST   A    backslider's    SAVIOUR.  *  371 

Forget  all.  Leave  all  you  have  and  are  behind ;  think  of 
Jesus,  —  of  his  atoning  blood;  —  think  of  nothing  else;  dwell 
upon  his  name ;  repeat  it  with  energy ;  do  so  again  and  again, 
until  your  soul  draws  virtue  out  of  him.  "  Looking  unto  Jesus," 
says  the  apostle.  When  you  thus  think  of  him,  and  for  this 
purpose,  you  are  then  looking  unto  him.  When  the  serpent- 
bitten  Israelite  looked  at  the  brazen  serpent  erected  by  Moses, 
he  was  healed  immediately;  so  shall  you,  if  you  thus  look  to 
Jesus.  Soon  he  will  kindle  a  flame  in  your  heart  that  all  hell 
may  not  extinguish.  When  this  is  done,  you  may  think  of 
your  sins,  and  be  humble ;  but  the  retrospect  shall  not  make  you 
unhappy. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

PAST   SINS   OF   BACKSLIDERS. 

Dryden's  sentiment,  in  the  following  lines,  if  applied  to 
unpardoned  sin,  or  when  seized  upon  by  a  mind  that  is  flying 
from  the  Saviour,  as  it  is  endeavoring  to  escape  from  remorse, 
is  not  only  bad  theology,  but  highly  dangerous  to  the  soul :  — 

"Tis  done,  and  since  'tis  done,  'tis  past  recall ; 
And  since  'tis  past  recall,  must  be  forgotten," 

No;  we  must  not  forget,  until  we  know  that  God  has  ceased  to 
remember  our  sins.  We  may  forget,  but  Eternal  Justice  cannot. 
The  law  of  God  shall  ever  be  seizing  the  soul  by  the  throat 
which  has  incurred  guilt,  saying,  "  Pay  me  what  thou  owest." 
Nor  is  it  likely  that  oblivion's  antidote  shall  long  be  effectual  in 
banishing  from  the  memory  this  debt  of  guilt,  when  the  dun- 
ning importunity  of  this  eternal  creditor,  served  as  it  is  upon 
the  mind  by  conscience,  compelling  the  soul  so  often  to  say, 
"  Have  patience  with  me,  and  I  will  pay  thee  all."  The  mind, 
in  such  a  case,  must  be  lapsing  evermore  into  a  retrospection, 
which  is  often  as  great  an  enemy  to  peace  as  it  is  to  forgetful- 
ness. 

An  eminent  writer  inquires,  "  Can  they  imagine  that  God 
has  therefore  forgot  their  sins,  because  they  are  not  willing  to 
remember  them?  Or,  will  they  measure  his  pardon  by  their 
own  oblivion?"  If  they  do,  it  is  a  most  dangerous  mistake. 
Our  oblivion  may  not  be  God's  pardon,  nor  our  forgetfulness  (if 
the  thing  were  possible  under  some  circumstances)  the  oblivion 
of  our  sins  from  the  remembrance  of  the  Almighty.  True,  God 
has  said,  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  "  I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth 
out  thy  transgressions,  for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remem- 


PAST    SINS    OF   BACKSLIDERS.  373 

ber  thy  sins."  True,  he  has  repeated  the  declaration  by  the 
prophet  Jeremiah.  "  For  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I  will 
remember  their  sin  no  more."  And,  I  will  add,  all  this  is  con- 
firmed in  two  places  by  the  apostle,  and  he  uses  the  same 
words  in  both:  "And  their  sins,  and  their  iniquities,  will  I 
remember  no  more."  But,  then,  the  same  apostle  tells  us  how 
this  important  and  wonderful  event  is  to  take  place :  "  Be  it 
known  unto  you,  therefore,  men  and  brethren,  that  through  this 
man  is  preached  unto  you  the  forgiveness  of  sins."  And,  in 
another  place,  the  instrumental  and  meritorious  cause  of  the 
remission  of  sins.  "  Whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitia- 
tion, thvough  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness  for 
the  remission  of  sins  that  are  past."  Now,  to  attempt  to  forget 
our  sins  prior  to  the  time  that  God  has  forgotten  them,  before 
we  have  taken  refuge  at  the  cross  of  Christ,  before  the  reliance 
of  the  soul  upon  the  blood  of  Jesus  for  immediate  and  conscious 
pardon,  would,  unquestionably,  be  the  very  method  to  ruin  the 
soul  eternally.  Therefore,  you  must  not  suffer  the  recollection 
of  your  sins  to  keep  you  from  your  Saviour.  There  is  a  danger 
of  thinking  too  much  about  our  sins,  as  there  is  of  thinking  too 
little  of  them.  When  the  eye  of  the  soul  is  fixed  upon  the 
"  sins  which  are  past,"  and  the  circumstances  which  led  to  their 
commission,  to  such  a  degree  as  not  to  have  a  moment  left  to 
look  unto  Jesus,  then  the  matter  is  carried  too  far.  You  have 
received  injury  enough  from  your  sins ;  but,  by  this  course,  you 
must  surely  draw  new  and  deadly  poison  from  them.  An  em- 
bargo must  be  laid  upon  your  thinking  faculties.  You  must 
prohibit  your  thoughts  from  travelling  over  your  sins  so  repeat- 
edly. You  say,  "Imay  as  well  try  to  control  the  whirlwind  as 
my  thoughts.  They  must  have  employment,  —  I  cannot  possibly 
lay  them  to  rest.  A  sense  of  my  danger,  and  a  dread  of  dying 
without  forgiveness,  forbid  my  thoughts  to  be  lulled  into 
repose."  I  do  not  require  that  they  be  "  lulled  into  repose,"  nor 
drowned  in  oblivion ;  this  is,  perhaps,  impossible ;  but  turn 
them  into  another  channel,  —  send  them  to  Calvary.  Let  them 
circulate,  with  ceaseless  activity,  around  the  bleeding  cross. 
Employ  them  in  the  work  of  associating  with  a  sense  of  guilt 
32 


374  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

an  equal  perception  of  that  blood  by  which  it  is  to  be  washed 
away.  Let  those  untiring  operations  of  your  mind  spend  them- 
selves in  fathoming  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  We  may, 
indeed,  say  of  this,  as- of  the  depths  of  the  sea,  no  human  sound- 
ing-line has  ever  reached  the  bottom  ;  yet,  you  will  find  it  much 
more  profitable  to  let  thought,  in  its  sleepless  energy,  travel  this 
fathomless  profound,  than  explore  the  dark  abyss  of  your  sins. 
Better,  at  every  landing-place  in  that  descent,  to  be  forced  into 
the  exclamation  of  an  apostle,  "  0,  the  depth  ! "  than  with  the 
awakened  sinner  (Romans  7),  sinking  in  "the  horrible  pit,  and 
miry  clay,"  crying  in  anguish  and  despair,  "  0,  wretched  man 
that  I  am  !  who  shall  deliver  me  ? "  Had  the  poor  serpent-bitten 
Israelite  only  bemoaned  himself;  had  he,  in  spite  of  every 
entreaty,  obstinately  fixed  his  eye  upon  the  wound,  or  agoniz- 
ingly gazed  upon  the  path  taken  by  the  gliding  serpent,  which 
had  given  him  his  death-wound ;  if  he  had  firmly  persisted  in 
mourning  over  his  own  carelessness,  in  permitting  himself  to  be 
bitten,  reproaching  his  own  culpable  indifference  to  personal 
safety,  when  so  many  were  writhing  in  agony  insupportable, 
and  the  camp  was  horribly  vocal  with  the  hissing  warnings  of 
the  flying  serpents ;  suppose,  also,  that  his  eye  had  continued 
wildly  rolling  to  and  fro,  in  order  to  guard  against  another 
attack,  and  all  the  time  madly  refusing  to  cast  one  look  at  the 
brazen  serpent,  erected  upon  the  pole  ;  what,  but  death,  and  that 
a  dreadful  one,  must  have  been  his  portion,  if  he  had  persisted  ? 
I  have  not  time  to  show  how  applicable  all  this  is  to  your  case ; 
your  own  good  sense,  however,  can  make  the  application.  When 
the  Israelite  cast  a  dying  look  at  the  serpent  on  the  pole,  were 
it  even  through  the  mists  of  death,  he  was  healed  in  a  moment. 
May  I  entreat  you  again  to  look  to  Jesus  ? 

Your  repentance  and  convictions  are  deep  enough  when  they 
bring  you  to  the  cross,  and  leave  you  there  with  your  weeping 
eyes  fixed  on  your  bleeding  Saviour,  as  your  last  and  only  hope. 
But  when  they  drive  you  past,  and  far  beyond,  into  the  region 
of  despair ;  or,  when  they  frighten  your  approaching  soul  away 
from  it ;  and  this,  either  from  a  dread  of  repulsion,  or  that  your 
sins  are  so  great  that  the  atonement  is  iiisufficient ;  then  they 


PAST    SINS    OF    BACKSLIDERS.  375 

are  too  deep.  The  devil  has  then  the  advantage  of  you ;  he  is 
most  assuredly  using  the  remembrance  of  your  sins  to  complete 
your  rwiw,  just  as  he  did  the  commission  of  them  to  begin  it. 
Think  of  the  aged  dying  Christian,  with  which  you  were  so 
much  pleased.  Neither  friendship,  nor  honor,  nor  high  renown, 
interested  his  mind,  nor  for  a  moment  carried  away  his  thoughts 
to  a  retrospect  of  the  past.  They  were  calmly  and  serenely 
centred  in  God.  The  name,  the  precious  name  of  God  in  Christ, 
was  dearer  to  his  faltering  heart  than  any  object  that  had  ever 
arrested  that  heart's  affections.  This  name  was  the  centre  of 
his  soul ;  here  it  rested ;  all  else  was  forgotten  as  a  dream ;  this 
was  enough  ;  this  possessed  a  charm  which  defied  the  assaults 
of  death,  and  saved  him  from  dismay  in  his  dying  hour.  "His 
final  hour  brings  glory  to  his  God." 

"  You  see  the  man  ;  you  see  his  hold  on  heaven  ! 
A  silent  lecture,  but  of  sovereign  power! 
To  vice  confusion,  and  to  virtue  peace." 

O,  then,  withdraw  your  mind  from  all  the  past,  from  all  your 
sins.  Your  thoughts  are  intense ;  let  their  intensity  be  fixed  on 
Jesus. 

Again  I  say,  look  unto  him  and  be  saved.  Think  about 
Christ,  —  his  death,  —  his  blood,  —  his  sufferings.  Now,  let 
Jesus  be  precious  :  "  To  you  who  believe  he  is  precious,"  says  the 
apostle.  Precious  Jesus !  He  died  for  thee,  my  brother.  Is  he 
not  "  the  chief  among  ten  thousand,  and  the  altogether  lovely  "  ? 
Think  of  what  one  has  said  about  him  : 

"All  the  names  that  love  could  find. 
All  the  forms  that  love  could  take, 
Jesus  in  lumself  hath  joined, 
Thee,  my  soul,  his  own  to  make." 

Are  you  not  this  moment  in  the  act  of  falling  upon  your  knees  ? 
Matt.  6  :  6.  Behold  him.  Lord  I  In  imagination  I  see  you  just 
going  to  the  cross,  approaching  Jesus,  saying, 

•'With  throbbing  head,  and  heaving  breast, 
Saviour,  1  fly  to  thee  for  rest  ; 
With  trembling  hands,  and  tottering  feet, 
I  reach  the  cross,  my  sole  retreat." 


376  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

I  think  I  hear  you  there ;  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  are 
broken  up.  The  windows  of  heaven  are  opened ;  the  wounded 
breast  is  discharging  all  its  grief  into  the  bosom  of  Jesus.  The 
cry  is  ascending,  "  Save,  Lord,  or  I  perish !  "  It  is  enough ;  by 
faith  I  see  the  Lord  passing  by  and  proclaiming  himself,  *'  The 
Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  and 
abundant  in  goodness  and  truth."  I  think  I  hear  Jesus  saying 
to  your  tortured  heart,  "  Peace,  be  still !  "  and  there  is  a  calm,  a 
sweet,  heavenly  calm.  Sunshine,  glory,  and  heaven,  descend 
from  God  into  your  heart.  0,  my  Lord,  let  it  be  while  he  is 
reading  this  paper ! 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

BACKSLIDERS   MUST    TAKE   RIGHT   VIEWS    OF    GOD. 

Your  state  of  soul  surprises  m§.  I  feel  persuaded  the  hin- 
drance must  be  in  yourself.  I  verily  believe  God  has  no  excep- 
tions against  you.  He  is  as  willing  to  bless  you  as  the  scores 
of  immortal  souls  who  are  now  finding  pardon  in  this  city. 
Broken-hearted  penitents  are  obtaining  mercy  every  night.  God 
is  the  same  everywhere ;  and  he  is  able  and  willing  to  bless  you 
in  #  #  #  #j  surely  he  is.  I  could,  it  is  true,  wish  you  were 
with  us  in  this  powerful  revival ;  but,  as  this  cannot  be,  it  need 
not  be  a  bar.  O,  no  !  I  do  think  you  may  adopt  the  language 
of  a  verse  in  our  hymn-book  : 

"  In  me  is  all  the  bar, 
Which  thou  •wouldst  fain  remove." 

That  bar  may  be  unbelief,  or  impatience,  or  indistinct  and  con- 
fused, perhaps  erroneous,  notions  of  faith.  There  may  be  an 
unwillingness  to  venture  fully  on  the  merits  of  the  atonement,  in 
the  absence  of  peace  and  joy ;  not  knowing  that  these  always 
follow  faith,  but  never  precede  it.  You  must  first  believe  ;  that 
is,  venture  freely  and  fully  upon  the  merits  of  Christ's  blood  for 
pardon  and  acceptance  \Vith  God  now.  When  you  thus  repose 
upon  the  merits  of  Christ's  death,  by  faith,  for  the  present  and 
everlasting  salvation  of  your  soul,  saying, 

"  This  all  my  hope  and  all  my  plea, 
For  me  the  Saviour  died,"  — 

hold  here.     Remain  fixed  on  this  ground.     It  cannot  fail  you. 
Now,  look  up ;  honor  the  Father,  as  you  honor  the  Son.    Perhaps 
you  ask,  "  What  do  you  mean  by  this  ? "     By  what  ?     "  You 
32* 


378  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

tell  me  to  honor  the  Father  as  I  honor  the  Son."  I  will  explain 
it.  You  could  not  trust  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  unless  you 
believed  that  his  blood  was  an  atonement  for  your  sins.  Fur- 
ther, is  it  not  the  belief  that  Jesus  loves  you  and  makes  you 
welcome  to  trust  in  his  blood  for  salvation,  which  encourages 
you  to  come  to  him,  confiding  in  the  merits  of  that  blood  ?  But 
is  it  not  a  fact,  that,  as  often  as  you  have  ventured  thus  upon 
that  atonement,  you  have  felt  that  if  there  were  no  other 
hindrance  than  Jesus  you  would  soon  be  happy  ?  At  such 
seasons  you  think  of  Jesus  as  the  only  person  in  the  adorable 
Trinity  who  has  any  kindly  feeling  for  you.  Your  unhappy 
mind  cannot  think  of  "  the  everlasting  Father,"  without  the  idea 
being  associated  that  "  he  is  a  consuming  fire : "  and  Jesus  is 
considered  as  a  rampart  of  defence  between  you  and  him.  This 
must  be  the  state  of  your  mind  surely,  or  you  would  not  refer  to 
that  verse  in  the  Wesleyan  hymn-book : 

"  I  trust  in  Him  who  stands  between 
The  Father's  wrath  and  me  ; 
Jesus,  thou  great  eternal  Mean, 
I  look  for  all  from  thee." 

The  sentiment  of  the  verse  is  correct,  when  applied  to  the 
state  of  sinners  out  of  Christ.  It  is  written,  "  The  wrath  of  God 
is  revealed  from  heaven  against  all  unrighteousness  of  men." 
Another  passage  teaches  us  the  solemn  lesson,  "  God  is  angry 
with  the  wicked  every  day."  It  is  also  written,  "  It  is  a  fearful 
thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God,  for  our  God  is  a 
consuming  fire."  And  the  reason  why  this  wrath  is  not  inflicted 
with  fury,  —  the  reason  why  this  "  consuming  fire  "  does  not  break 
forth  in  scorching  flames  upon  a  world  of  sinners,  —  is,  that  we 
have  an  "Advocate  with  the  Father,"  and  "he  ever  liveth  to 
make  intercession."  Jesus  Christ  is  "  the  propitiation  for  the 
sins  of  the  whole  world."  The  word  propitiate  means  to  render 
favorable ;  to  conciliate  an  offended  person,  so  as  to  lead  him  to 
be  propitious,  merciful,  and  kind  to  the  oflTender.  The  offended 
Creator  is,  then, 

"  The  indulgent  God, 
Swift  to  relieve,  unwilling  to  destroy." 


BACKSLIDERS    MUST    TAKE    RIGHT    VIEWS    OF    GOD.  379 

The  wicked  provoke  the  wrath  of  God,  but  Christ  is  the  Medi- 
ator. Our  Lord  illustrates  this  in  the  parable  of  the  barren  fig- 
tree.  As  long  as  men  continue  to  sin  against  God,  there  is 
wrath ;  Christ  intercedes,  and  sinners  are  "  saved  from  wrath 
through  him."  But  when  the  wicked  continue  to  do  wickedly, 
and  the  divine  forbearance  becomes  exhausted,  then  the  wrath 
of  God  breaks  forth,  as  it  is  written,  "  They  mocked  the 
messengers  of  God,  and  despised  his  words,  and  misused  his 
prophets ;  until  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  arose  against  his  people, 
till  there  was  no  remedy."  Strictly  speaking,  however,  the 
sentiment  of  the  first  two  lines  of  the  above  verse  is  not  applica- 
ble to  a  soul  which  fully  trusts  in  the  blood  of  Christ  for  the 
forgiveness  of  sins.  The  moment  any  penitent  sinner  rests  upon 
the  atonement,  as  I  have  been  describing,  God  is  that  moment 
reconciled ;  wrath  does  not  then  exist.  God  is  then  love,  noth- 
ing but  love ;  and  when  the  mind  believes  this,  the  love  of  God 
is  immediately  shed  abroad  in  the  heart  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  order,  therefore,  to  receive  the  benefit  of  believing  in  Christ, 
this  must  be  believed,  also  ;  that  is,  that  God  is  reconciled.  It  is 
only  when  we  believe  that  God  loves  us,  that  we  can  love  him 
in  return.  If  so,  the  mind  must  recognize  priority  of  love  in  the 
bosom  of  God,  before  it  can  reciprocate,  and  offer  love  for  love. 
The  following  beautiful  passage,  from  the  writings  of  St.  John, 
is  constructed  upon  reciprocal  love,  —  love  mutual,  —  love  in 
return  for  love ;  but,  that  love  existing  previously  in  God  the 
Father  :  — "  We  love  him,  because  he  hath  first  loved  us." 
God's  love,  therefore,  kindles  ours.  There  are  certain  glasses 
which  concentrate  in  a  focus  the  rays  of  the  sun,  so  that  sub- 
stances are  kindled  into  a  flame  ;  and  thus  blaze  back  again  the 
heat  which  the  orb  of  day  originated.  "  He  that  cometh  unto 
God  must  believe  that  he  is."  Belief  is  faith.  Faith  reflects 
God  upon  the  mind.     A  poet  says, 

"  Faith  lends  its  realizing  light, 

The  clouds  disperse,  the  shadows  fly  ; 
The  invisible  appears  in  sight, 
And  God  is  seen  by  mortal  eye." 


380  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Faith  sits  upon  the  soul,  and  realizes  the  glory  of  the  Almighty. 
God  shines  on  faith.  Faith  discovers  that  God  in  Christ  is  love, 
—  love  beyond  degree.  Faith  becomes  the  burning-glass  to  the 
soul.  It  collects,  as  in  a  focus,  the  rays  of  love  issuing  from 
God.  This  kindles  our  hearts  into  a  flame,  and  our  souls  blaze 
back  again  the  holy  flame  which  God's  love  originated.  Then 
we  can  say,  as  one  said  upon  a  different  occasion, 

*'  Hanc  animam  injlammis  offero,  Christe,  tibi.'' 

"  In  flames  of  fire,  I  ofler  this  soul  of  mine  to  thee,  oh  Christ." 

Until  you  thus  realize  that  the  moment  you  thus  trust  in  the 
merits  of  Christ  you  are  loved  of  the  Father,  and  with  a  love 
as  ardent  as  that  which  is  felt  by  the  Son,  you  never  can  honor 
the  Father  even  as  you  honor  the  Son ;  and,  in  that  case,  you 
cannot  be  converted  to  God.  The  bar,  therefore,  is  all  in  your- 
self. God  would  willingly  remove  it.  O,  permit  him  to  do  so, 
by  thinking  rightly  of  him. 

You  say,  "  I  do  not  consider  God  as  a  consuming  fire,  when  I 
trust  in  Christ.  This  is  not  my  difficulty.  It  is  this  :  when  I 
thus  trust,  I  am  unable  to  view  God  in  any  other  position  than 
as  removed  to  an  immense  distance  from  me.  I  feel  I  have  a 
days-man  with  the  Father ;  and,  that  infinite  as  the  distance  is 
between  me  and  God,  yet  he  lays  his  hand  upon  both  to  effect  a 
reconciliation ;  but  I  cannot  consider  the  Father  in  any  other 
state  than  cold  and  repulsive,  and  unwilling  to  be  reconciled. 
Though  I  endeavor  to  trust  in  the  merits  of  Jesus,  conscious 
that  I  can  do  no  more,  I  am  unable  to  think  otherwise  than  that 
my  Mediator  has  hard  work  to  persuade  the  great  God  to  look 
with  compassion  upon  me."  How  insulting  to  God  is  this  cursed 
unbelief !  How  it  wrongs  him !  How  injurious  also  to  the 
soul !  With  such  thoughts  you  never  can  be  happy  nor  accepted. 
Were  your  views  of  God  the  same  as  noticed  in  my  last,  "  that 
God  is  a  consuming  fire  to  the  approaching  penitent,  although 
venturing  to  trust  in  Christ,"  then  I  should  consider  you  as 
standing  in  dread  before  "  the  God  of  all  grace."  It  may  be 
well  said  of  the  soul,  when  realizing  such  elements  of  terror,  that 
peace  must  be  as  absent  from  the  heart  as  love.     But  if  a  notion 


BACKSLIDERS   MUST    TAKE    RIGHT    VIEWS    OF   GOD.         381 

SO  erroneous  as  the  above  does  not  fill  you  with  fear,  it  must 
certainly  chill  your  soul  into  alienation  and  distrust;  both  of 
which  are  positive  enemies  to  that  warm  and  confiding  love 
which  is  so  essential  to  a  religion  which  makes  the  soul  happy. 
In  the  above  sentiment  you  honor  the  Son,  but  you  dishonor  the 
Father.  As  long  as  you  do  this,  your  mind  will  be  overcast 
with  the  gloomiest  clouds,  and  its  abiding  state  "  the  spirit  of 
bondage  again  to  fear."  Perhaps  you  anxiously  inquire,  "  What 
shall  I  do  ?  How  can  I  change  those  views  which  seem  to  be 
the  very  element  of  my  mind  ?  I  may  wish  these  perceptions  of 
God  banished,  if  they  are  wrong ;  but  I  cannot,  by  dint  of  resolu- 
tion, drive  them  from  me."  No ;  probably  not.  The  mind 
cannot,  perhaps,  act  in  this  case  without  motives.  It  may  be 
powerless  to  expel  wrong  ideas  without  assistance;  but  what 
your  mind  may  be  unable  to  do  under  certain  circumstances,  it 
may  accomplish  under  others.  I  recollect,  some  years  ago, 
reading  a  sermon,  the  title  of  which  was  the  "  The  Expulsive 
Power  of  a  New  Affection."  Now,  may  there  not  be  an  expul- 
sive power  in  a  new  class  of  ideas  ?  If  those  are  usurpers  with 
which  I  have  been  finding  fault,  may  they  not  be  forced  to 
abdicate  in  favor  of  those  whose  right  it  is  to  wield  the  sceptre 
of  the  mind  ?  If  the  former  are  but  visionary,  is  it  likely  they 
shall  long  contend  with  realities  ?  Do  you  inquire,  "  What  are 
the  ideas  you  wish  me  to  entertain  ?  Let  me  know  them,  and 
I  will  give  them  as  welcome  a  reception  as  those  which  have 
hitherto  swayed  my  soul."  The  first  passage  I  shall  quote, 
wherein  is  a  leading  idea,  is  John  5:  23,  —  "That  all  men 
should  honor  the  Son,  even  as  they  honor  the  Father."  This 
passage  proves  that  Jesus  Christ  is  a  proper  Person  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  upon  an  equality  with  the  Father,  and  to  be  honored 
equally  with  Him.  This  is  the  evident  claim.  Now,  this  claim 
of  our  blessed  Lord  was  not  only  designed  to  guard  his  own 
right  to  divine  honors,  but  those  of  the  Father  also.  It  is  just  as 
evident  that  he  does  not  claim  more  honor  than  is  given  to  the 
Father,  as  it  is  that  he  does  not  admit  of  any  less.  The  passage, 
therefore,  is  calculated  to  impress  this  sentiment  upon  the  mind, 
that  the  Father  is  not  to  be  honored  less  than  the  Son ;  this  is 


382  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

just  as  clear  as  that  the  Son  is  not  to  receive  any  less  honor 
than  the  Father.  But  is  there  not  an  infringement  upon  this 
rule  when,  under  certain  circumstances,  you  suppose  the  Father 
loves  you  less  than  the  Son  ? 

The  sentiment  that  Jesus  is  all  love,  when  you  endeavor  to 
trust  in  the  merits  of  his  death,  but  that  the  Father  is  cold  and 
distant,  with  respect  to  you,  is  dishonoring  to  the  Father.  You 
are  then  unquestionably  withholding  from  him  an  honor  which 
is  justly  his  due.  It  is  quite  plain  to  me  that  you  and  the 
Socinians  are  in  opposite  extremes.  The  Socinians  give  God- 
head honors  to  the  Father,  but  offer  to  the  Son  an  honor 
infinitely  less,  because  they  consider  him  a  mere  creature,  though 
a  created  being  of  the  highest  order ;  yet  what  proportion  can 
magnitude,  however  great,  if  only  finite,  bear  to  that  which  is 
infinite  ;  seeing  that 

*'A  million 
Is  full  as  far  from  infinite  as  one  ! " 

In  the  estimation  of  the  Socinians,  he  is  a  creature  still ;  and 
that  places  him  at  a  distance  infinite  from  God.  Thus  they 
refuse  to  obey  the  requirement  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  You 
go  to  the  other  extreme.  Christ  stands  forth  to  your  faith  as 
the  Second  Person  in  the  adorable  Trinity.  You  adore  him  as 
God.  This  is  right.  In  the  merits  of  his  blood  you  feel  it  to 
be  your  duty  to  trust,  singly  and  alone,  for  salvation;  and  your 
faith  anticipates  Christ  as  full  of  compassion  and  tender  love 
towards  you.  Now,  this  is  perfectly  scriptural,  so  far  as  Jesus 
Christ  is  concerned;  but  your  faith  is  sadly  defective  upon 
another  point  of  vital  importance,  —  that  the  Father  is  cold  and 
repulsive,  and  that,  were  you  to  cast  yourself  fully  upon  tho 
atonement,  he  would  frown  you  away  from  his  presence.  Hence, 
you  asperse  his  character  by  impeaching  him  with  affections 
which  he  has  never  felt  towards  any  penitent  sinner  who  has 
renounced  every  other  plea  for  mercy,  and  trusted  sincerely  in 
the  merits  of  Christ's  death  for  pardon  and  acceptance.  The 
Socinians  dishonor  the  Son  by  denying  him  the  honors  of  the 
Eternal  Godhead,  and  that  on  an  equality  with  the  Father;  you 


BACKSLIDERS    MUST    TAKE    RIGHT    VIEWS   OF    GOD.         383 

dishonor  the  Father  by  refusing  him  the  honors  of  redemption, 
and  that  on  an  equality  with  the  Son ;  as  if  the  Father  had  no 
part  in  the  wonderful  scheme,  but  as  if  Christ  alone  planned  it, 
as  well  as  became  incarnate  and  died  for  our  race,  without  the 
approbation  or  consent  of  the  Father  ;  or  if  anything  like  a  con- 
sent was  given,  yet  that  in  the  sight  of  all  heaven  it  was  "icy, 
cold,  unwilling."  The  Socinians  refuse  to  believe  that  the  fol- 
lowing declaration  of  John  proves  that  Jesus  Christ  made  the 
world,  and  is,  therefore,  God  :  "  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word, 
and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  The 
same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God.  All  things  were  made 
by  him;  and  without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  was 
made." 

But  you  refuse  to  believe  the  declaration  of  Jesus  Christ  him- 
self, a  declaration  which  equally  proves  that  love  in  the  bosom 
of  the  Father  was  the  procuring  cause  of  the  "  unspeakable  gift," 
the  incarnation  of  his  own  Son :  "  For  God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life."  Do  you  not, 
therefore,  wrong  and  dishonor  the  Father  ?  Was  there  love  in 
him  in  the  bestowing  of  the  gift ;  and  shall  there  be  no  love  in 
the  acceptance  of  it  ?  Can  you  assign  any  reason  for  such  a 
reserve  ?  Shall  we  impute  it  to  the  believing  act  of  the  penitent 
sinner,  or  tax  the  Everlasting  Father  with  capriciousness  or 
inconstancy?  Strange,  that  the  doings  of  the  penitent  should 
fan  the  flame  of  love  in  the  bosom  of  the  Son,  and  at  the  same 
time  extinguish  it  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father!  Strange,  that 
he  of  whom  it  is  said,  "In  whom  there  is  no  variableness,  neither 
shadow  of  turning,"  should  beseech  the  sinner  to  be  reconciled 
to  him;  and  also  continue  his  entreaties  during  the  many  years 
of  his  rebellion  ;  and  now,  when  the  sinner  is  reconciled,  and 
entreating  pardon  on  the  part  of  God,  fulfilling  at  the  same  time 
the  condhions  of  reconciliation,  that  he  should,  all  at  once,  refuse 
to  be  propitious  !     Surely  such  views  of  God  cannot  be  right ! 

Consider :  was  not  the  plan  of  reconciliation  laid  by  the  Holy 
Trinity  in  heaven,  and  carried  into  effect  when  the  whole  world 
was  in  a  state  of  rebellion  ?     Reflect  upon  the  declaration  of  the 


384  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

apostle  :  "  When  we  were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God 
by  the  death  of  his  Son ; "  and  is  it  possible,  when  the  sinner 
casts  away  his  weapons,  and  accepts  of  the  terms  of  reconcili- 
ation, that  Godwin  then  put  on  an  altered  look, and  be  less  wil- 
ling to  be  reconciled  to  the  penitent  sinner,  now  that  he  is  sup- 
plicating for  mercy  at  his  feet,  than  when  he  was  an  enemy  ? 
Is  it  not  evident  to  yourself  that  the  ideas  you  have  entertained, 
as  stated  at  the  beginning  of  this  letter,  are  visionary  and  unjust  ? 
Do  not  those  which  I  have  suggested  appear  scriptural  and 
rational  ?  Certain  I  am,  that  if  you  give  them  a  place  in  your 
belief,  those  imaginary  phantoms  shall,  as  a  dream  in  the  night, 
vanish  away  before  the  light  of  God's  reconciling  countenance. 

Say  not  a  word  respecting  any  trouble  you  may  imagine  me 
to  be  at  in  writing  "  so  many  letters  to  one  so  unworthy."  You 
are  worthy  of  all  this,  and  a  thousand  times  more,  especially 
from  a  fellow-sinner  like  the  writer.  True,  my  sins  are  for- 
given, my  soul  is  cleansed ;  but  then  I  owe  the  more  unto  my 
Lord,  and  to  the  precious  souls  for  whom  he  died.  I  shall  feel 
myself  abundantly  compensated,  when  I  learn  that  God  has 
visited  your  soul  with  his  pardoning  love,  —  when  I  learn  that, 

*'  The  winged  hopes,  which  glanced  and  sang 
In  joy's  melodious  atmosphere,  returned  have, 
To  welcome  back  the  gladness  of  the  soul." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE   BACKSLIDER   ENCOURAGED. 

I  AM  not  at  all  surprised  that  your  feelings  are  so  much 
changed  for  the  better.  The  cause  is  plain ;  your  views  of  your 
Heavenly  Father  are  materially  improved.  Had  you  continued 
to  entertain  thosfe  wrong  thoughts  of  God,  your  soul  would  still 
have  been  involved  in  clouds  and  darkness.  I  perceive,  how- 
ever, that  the  state  of  your  mind  is  yet  "  the  spirit  of  bondage 
again  to  fear."  You  are  more  encouraged  than  happy.  You 
have  some  light,  but  no  heat,  no  love  ;  I  think  you  have  the  day- 
light of  religion,  but  not  the  sunshine.  Day-break,  you  know, 
is  often  cold  and  cheerless.  Sometimes  there  is  quite  an  uncer- 
tainty as  to  the  indications  of  the  heavens,  as  well  as  to  the 
aspect  and  identity  of  surrounding  objects ;  but  when  the  sun 
ascends  the  horizon,  uncertainties  vanish ;  the  appearances  of 
things  have  changed  wonderfully ;  a  flood  of  day  comes  forth 
from  the  east ;  the  heavens  and  the  earth  are  showered  with 
rays ;  a  sunny  glow  spreads  itself  over  all  nature ;  a  new  crea- 
tion appears  everywhere  to  the  admiring  eyes ;  all  is  soft  and 
glowing  variety ;  light,  heat,  animation,  bustle,  and  surrounding 
joy,  render  a  doubt  of  day  impossible.  Thus  it  is  with  the  soul. 
There  is  a  promise  which  runs  thus  :  "  But  unto  you  that  fear 
my  name  shall  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arise,  with  healing  in 
his  wings."  Until  this  takes  place,  the  sky  of  the  mind,  and 
the  surface  of  the  heart,  shall  be,  like  the  heaven  and  earth  on 
a  winter's  day-break,  black  and  cheerless.  At  such  a  time  it  is 
not  surprising  if  the  unhappy  sinner  is  compelled,  by  his  wretch- 
edness and  dread  uncertainty,  to  say,  with  Arbuthnot, 
33 


386  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

"  Almighty  power,  by  whose  most  wise  command, 
Helpless,  forlorn,  uncertain,  here  I  stand  ; 
Take  this  J'aint  g-limmering-  of  thyself  away, 
Or  break  into  my  soul  with  perfect  day." 

Light  may  have  come,  and  faith  have  recognized  it  too,  but 
unbelief  is  not  asleep ;  the  voice  of  the  demon  will  be  heard  from 
the  murky  shades  of  the  soul.  Unbelief  will  say  to  glimmering 
faith,  as  Zebul  to  Gaal,  w^hen  he  reported  at  such  an  hour, 
"  Behold,  there  come  people  down  from  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tains." "  Thou  seest  the  shadow  of  the  mountains  as  if  they 
were  men."  Increasing  light  may  silence  unbelief  on  this  point, 
but  the  comfortless  state  of  the  soul  shall  invite  it  to  others  just 
as  annoying.  Light  may  encourage,  but  it  is  only  love  which 
can  render  the  soul  happy.  "  There  is  no  fear  in  love,"  says 
St.  John.  Love  is  the  sunshine  of  religion.  God's  love  towards 
us  produces  love  in  us.  What  but  love  can  beget  love  ?  "  We 
love  him,  because  he  first  loved  us,"  says  the  same  apostle. 
ConfideTice  is  the  daughter  of  love.  A  poet  might  well  term  it 
"  love-born  confidence."  But  this  can  never  take  place  till  the 
command  is  applicable  to  the  soul :  "  Arise,  shine,  for  thy  light 
is  come,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon  thee."  Then 
shall  the  "  Sun  of  Righteousness "  arise  upon  the  soul  "  with 
healing  in  his  wings."  All  then  shall  be  real,  conscious  sun- 
shine. God's  lovely  countenance  beams  friendship  upon  the 
irradiated  mind;  the  soul,  through  all  her  powers,  feels  the 
glowing  influence ;  or,  in  the  language  of  the  apostle  St.  Paul, 
"  The  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts,  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  which  is  given  unto  us." 

How  expressive  is  this  language  of  the  apostle !  And  yet 
some  will  tell  us  that  a  converted  person  cannot  enjoy  this  in 
such  a  measure  as  to  remove  all  doubt  whether  he  be  a  child  of 
God.  But  what  is  that  to  thee  or  me,  seeing  that  it  is  written : 
"  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of  God  hath  the  witness  in  him- 
self" ?  As  in  nature  it  is  not  long  from  the  break  of  day  till  sun- 
rise, so  I  trust  the  period  is  not  far  distant  when  you  shall  sing 
with  a  glad  heart  and  free, 


THE    BACKSLIDER    ENCOURAGED,  387 

♦'  The  Sun  of  Righteousness  on  me 

Hath  rose,  with  healing  in  his  wings  ; 

Withered  my  nature's  strength,  from  thee 
My  soul  its  life  and  succor  brings  ; 

My  help  is  all  laid  up  above  ; 

Thy  Nature  and  thy  Name  is  Love." 

As  you  wish  me  to  enlarge  a  little  upon  a  subject  which 
appears  to  have  afforded  you  "  much  light,  and  some  comfort," — 
that  is,  that  we  should  honor  the  Father  even  as  we  honor  the 
Son,  —  I  shall  offer  you  a  few  additional  thoughts  upon  the  sub- 
ject. I  do  this  the  more  willingly,  because  I  do  believe  your 
faith  is  yet  quite  defective  upon  this  point.  It  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at  that  your  mind  is  continually  lapsing  into  "  the  spirit 
of  bondage  again  to  fear,"  when  there  is  such  a  frequent  recur- 
rence of  the  unhappy  sentiment,  that  God  the  Father  stands  at 
such  an  infinite  remove  from  reconciliation.  When  your  weak 
faith,  or-  rather  unbelief,  represents  the  Trinity  as  divided,  and 
disagreeing  in  their  desires  to  save  and  bless,  your  soul  cannot 
but  be  confused,  as  well  as  unhappy.  Were  it  even  possible  for 
you  to  honor  the  Son  of  God  with  love  in  return  for  love,  your 
chilling  and  alienating  views  of  the  everlasting  Father  would 
speedily  destroy  the  affection.  Love  would  soon  give  place  to 
fear.  The  probable  impotency  of  Jesus  to  bring  the  Father  to  a 
reconciliation  would  very  soon  displace  the  pleasurable  sensa- 
tion ;  and  others,  such  as  distrust,  disquietude,  perplexity,  and 
despair,  would,  ere  long,  succeed,  and  sway  their  sceptre  over  a 
heart  in  which  a  single  tender  emotion  could  not  be  found. 
Allow  me,  therefore,  to  correct  the  evil  by  carrying  your  mind 
forward  to  a  set  of  just  and  scriptural  notions  upon  this  import- 
ant subject.  When  Christ  had  made  the  atonement,  the  point 
was  not  really  then  to  be  settled  whether  the  Father  was  on 
reconcilable  terms  with  the  world ;  but  whether  the  world  would 
accept  the  terms  of  reconciliation,  and  be  reconciled  to  him. 
Every  particular  connected  with  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ 
implied  that  God  was  desirous  of  a  reconciliation  between  him- 
self and  the  creatures  who  had  revolted  from  him.  Observe 
further  ;  the  whole  phraseology  of  the  New  Testament  goes  to 
show  that  the  very  first  overtures  for  a  reconciliation  were  made 


388  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

by  the  Father ;  and  that  these  proposals  were  offered  under  cir- 
cumstances, and  from  affections,  which  should  forever  enthrone 
the  Almighty  Father  in  the  grateful  hearts  of  his  redeemed 
creatures.  I  might  quote  a  variety  of  passages  from  the  word 
of  God,  to  illustrate  and  prove  this  point,  —  passages  which  shall 
be  everlasting  witnesses  between  God  and  us,  whether  we  are 
finally  saved  or  damned.  Perhaps  two  or  three  may,  in  this 
letter,  be  as  good  as  many.  Consider  the  following :  "  But  God 
commendeth  his  love  towards  us,  in  that,  while  we  were  yet 
sinners  Christ  died  for  us." 

Here  you  will  observe  the  circumstances  as  well  as  affections 
referred  to,  and  brought  forward  in  a  very  condensed  form. 
"  While  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us."  "  We,"  our 
whole  race,  are  represented  as  in  the  attitude  of  hostility, — ' 
direct  and  glaring  rebellion  against  God ;  the  omniscient  eye  of 
Jehovah  beholding  us  in  this  state,  throughout  the  entire  of  our 
generations,  to  the  end  of  time.  At  the  same  time,  he  himself 
is  the  insulted  monarch.  And  while  nothing  was  heard  but  the 
cry  of  rebellion  against  his  eternal  throne,  —  nothing  seen  but  the 
polluted  exhalation  of  our  various  abominations,  coming  up  before 
him  like  the  smoke  of  the  bottomless  pit,  if  I  may  use  the  ex- 
pression, —  the  heart  of  God  warmed  into  love  for  our  race ;  and 
this,  too,  when  as  yet  there  were  no  signs  of  returning  loyalty, 
or  softening  penitency,  on  the  part  of  a  rebel  world.  St.  John 
might  well  say,  "  Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but 
that  he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins."  Love  is  not  an  inactive  passion  in  human  beings ;  neither 
was  it  in  our  Almighty  Father.  Love  prompted  the  effort  to 
save,  and  wisdom  contrived  the  means  of  saving  us.  Hence  it 
is  said,  "He  hath  abounded  towards  us  in  all  wisdom;  "and 
again,  "  The  manifold  wisdom  of  God."  Christ,  in  another 
place,  is  called  the  "  wisdom  of  God."  The  plan  was  devised, 
that  the  Son  of  God  should  die  in  our  stead,  and  thus  make  an 
atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.  "  While  we  were  yet 
sinners,  Christ  died  for  us."  If  our  world  had  suddenly  become 
penitent ;  had  the  cry  ascended  from  millions  of  weeping  suppli- 
cants, and  the  burden  of  that  cry,  "  Mercy  mercy ! "  as  it  hap- 


THE   BACKSLIDER    ENCOURAGED.  389 

pened  at  the  conclusion  of  a  certain  civil  commotion,  when  a 
considerable  number  of  young  men  were  about  to  suffer  for  their 
insurrectionary  crimes;  but  they  had  cast  away  their  weapons, 
and  approaching  the  throne  of  their  highly  offended  monarch, 
•'Mercy!  mercy!"  was  the  one  and  universal  cry.  Hearing 
their  imploring  voices,  he  was  moved  out  of  his  indignation,  and, 
melting  into  compassion,  exclaimed,  *'  Take  them  away,  —  I  can- 
not bear  it !  "  that  is,  show  them  mercy.  Ah,  had  such  a  scene 
as  this  taken  place  before  the  costly  plan  of  our  reconciliation 
was  laid,  we  never  could  have  had  such  an  exhibition  of  the 
unmerited  love  of  the  Father!  This,  however,  was  not  the 
case.  And,  at  the  period  in  the  history  of  our  globe  when  the 
standard  of  rebellion  was  proudly  waving  under  the  whole  heaven, 
—  when  the  nations  of  the  earth  had,  as  if  by  common  consent, 
ceased  to  fight  with  each  other,  that  they  might  have  the  more 
time  to  carry  on  the  war  against  the  laws  and  government  of 
God,  —  it  was  now  that  God  loved  us.  When  rebellion  was  at  its 
climax,  God's  love  was  in  its  noonday  splendor.  I  speak  after 
the  manner  of  men.  When  the  fulness  of  time  was  come,  and 
the  measure  of  our  iniquities  was  full  to  overflowing,  the  love 
of  the  Father  was  a  boutidless  ocean.  When  our  transgressions 
had  reached  into  hell,  and  mounted  as  high  as  heaven,  God's 
love  became  so  immeasurably  great,  so  inexpressible,  so  incon- 
ceivable, that  description  was  an  impossibility.  Human  or  an- 
gelic minds  could  not  grasp  it,  nor  language  declare  it.  Christ 
himself  did  not  attempt  it,  but  just  said:  "God  so  loved  the 
world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son."  It  will  require 
eternal  ages  to  fathom  the  meaning  of  that  little  word  "  so." 
Now,  had  it  been  said,  the  Father  loved  us,  but  refused  any 
token  of  his  love,  then  there  might  have  been  much  room  for 
doubt ;  but  when  he  gave  such  a  demonstration  of  it  as  to  part 
with  his  own  Son,  delivering  him  up  for  us  all,  that  he  might 
taste  death  for  every  man,  and  in  a  manner  with  which  you  are 
perfectly  familiar,  then,  I  will  assert,  there  is  no  room  for  a 
single  doubt  of  his  love ;  and  not  the  least  foundation  for  such 
views  as  have  infested  your  unhappy  mind.  If  the  Almighty 
Father  had  made  us  a  free  donation  of  heaven,  and  all  its  un- 
33* 


390  REVIvip    MISCELLANIES. 

utterable  glories,  it  could  not  have  been  such  a  convincing 
demonstration  of  his  love  as  that  which  he  has  afforded  us  in 
the  gift  of  his  own  Son.  It  might  well  be  said,  "  Goa  com- 
mendeth  his  love;"  manifests  it,  and  sets  it  forth  in  the  highest 
possible  manner  "  to  tis.^'  Our  salvation  was  dearer  to  him  than 
the  life  of  his  Son.  And  has  God  ever  repented  of  this  redeem- 
ing act  ?  Never !  It  was,  indeed,  said  on  the  eve  of  the  deluge, 
that  it  repented  him  that  he  had  made  man ;  but  nowhere  can 
you  find  it  written  that  it  has  repented  him  to  have  redeemed 
man.  Can  you  fail,  therefore,  to  be  convicted  of  this  great  truth, 
that  the  point  to  be  gained  by  the  Gospel  ministry  is  to  bring 
about  the  reconciliation  of  sinners  to  God  ?  Has  it  ever  occurred 
to  you  that  there  is  not  a  word  in  the  New  Testament  about 
the  reconciling  of  God  to  us  ?  I  know  not  that  the  word  is  used 
in  this  sense  in  any  part  of  the  New  Testament. 

Everything,  therefore,  necessary  to  a  perfect  reconciliation, 
has  been  prepared  by  God  the  Father ;  and  nothing  is  wanting 
but  a  believing  acceptance  upon  our  part.  Can  anything  be 
more  encouraging  to  a  penitent  sinner  ?  How  unjust,  therefore, 
have  been  your  past  conclusions !  St.  Paul,  in  2  Corinthians,  5  : 
18,  calls  the  Gospel  ministry  "  The  ministry  of  reconciliation ;" 
and  again,  that  the  "  word  of  reconciliation  "  is  committed  to  the 
preachers  of  the  Gospel;  and  in  verse  19,  he  fixes  upon  the 
very  point  for  which  I  have  been  contending,  that  the  sum  and 
substance  of  the  Gospel  is,  that  "  God  was  in  Christ,  reconciling 
the  world  unto  himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto 
them;"  ^^  not  imputing, ^^Xhidii  is,  not  exacting  the  penalty  due 
to  our  sins ;  because  the  penalty  has  already  been  suffered  in 
the  person  of  Jesus  Christ  for  us.  That  the  suspicions  and  the 
jealousies  so  closely  connected  with  guilt  may  depart  from  your 
soul,  together  with  the  enmity  of  your  heart  toward  your  recon- 
ciling and  Almighty  Father,  is  the  sincere  prayer  of  your  affec- 
tionate brother. 

It  is  singular  that  you  have  so  long  overlooked  that  remarka- 
ble expression  of  the  apostle,  respecting  the  part  the  Father  has 
sustained,  and  does  sustain,  in  our  redemption  by  Jesus  Christ: 
"  All  things  are  of  God."  2  Cor.  5 :   18.     That  is,  he  is  the 


THE    BACKSLIDER    ENCOURAGED.  391 

Author  and  the  efficient  Cause  of  the  plan  of  our  salvation. 
Nothing  can  be  plainer  than  the  Scriptures  upon  this  point, 
together  with  the  unity  of  the  Trinity  in  the  redemption  of  our 
lost  race.  The  plan  of  redemption  is  imputed  to  the  boundless 
love  of  the  Father,  the  working  out  of  it  to  the  boundless  love 
of  the  Son,  and  its  success  among  men  to  the  efficient  agency 
and  love  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Thus,  there  is  an  unbroken  har- 
mony among  the  Persons  of  the  Eternal  Godhead  in  the  work 
of  saving  our  lost  world.  If  it  is  written,  "God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,"  it  is  also  stated  in 
another  place,  "  Christ  also  hath  loved  us,  and  hath  given  him- 
self for  us,  an  offering  and  a  sacrifice  to  God  for  a  sweet-smell- 
ing savor."  And  again,  as  if  to  render  the  harmony  of  the 
holy  Trinity  complete,  the  apostle,  in  the  last  chapter  but  one 
of  the  Romans,  secures  the  same  to  the  Holy  Spirit ;  "  the  love 
of  the  Spirit."  I  deem  it  unnecessary  to  multiply  passages ; 
but  how  surprisingly  has  our  gracious  God  provided  for  our 
faith  upon  such  an  important  subject;  that  if  there  are  three 
Persons  brought  before  our  faith  in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead, 
to  whom  we  are  accountable,  that  the  assurance  should  be  so 
full  and  convincing,  we  are  equally  loved  by  each  !  How 
delightful  to  reflect  that  we  owe  our  salvation  to  their  equal  and 
united  love !  That  if  there  was  a  unity  in  the  plari,  there  was 
a  unity  in  the  love  which  accomplished  it.  How  sweet  to  reflect 
that  this  love  is  this  moment  united  in  one  undivided  flame 
toward  all  who  approach  the  throne  of  grace,  through  the  alone 
merits  of  Him  who  poured  out  his  soul  unto  the  death  for  us ! 
It  seems  to  me  that  you  are  this  moment  ready  to  sing,  with  an 
overflowing  heart,  what  our  congregations  in  this  city  often 
unite  in  singing,  when  it  has  been  announced  that  some  poor 
sinner  has  just  been  born  of  God  :  — 

"  To  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost, 
Who  sweetly  all  agree 
To  save  a  world  of  sinners  lost, 
Eternal  glory  be." 

Come,  then ;  but  as  you  approach  the  mercy-seat,  be  boldly  con- 
fident of  a  welcome  to  the  bosom  of  your  heavenly  Father. 


392  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

♦*  If  any  man  serve  me,"  says  Jesus,  "  him  will  my  Father 
honor."  Now,  to  serve  is  to  obey.  But  the  penitent  obeys 
Jesus  when  he  obeys  that  blessed  com^mand,  "  Come  unto  me, 
all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden;  take  my  yoke  upon  you, 
and  learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart."  When 
this  is  sincerely  done,  we  honor  Jesus.  But  is  the  Father,  then, 
a  cold  and  distant  spectator  ?  No ;  but  "  him  shall  my  Father 
honor."  But  how  can  he  honor  the  obedient  and  believing  peni- 
tent better  than  to  accept,  pardon,  and  love  him  ?  Hear  what 
Jesus  says,  in  John  14:  21,  —  "He  that  hath  my  command- 
ments, and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  me  :  and  he  that 
loveth  me  shall  be  loved  of  my  Father :  and  I  will  love  him, 
and  will  manifest  myself  to  him."  So,  then,  if  we  love  Jesus, 
by  obeying  him,  we  are  immediately  loved  by  the  Father;  and 
when  the  Father  loves  us,  Jesus  Christ  loves  us  also.  Does 
this  show  a  coldness  and  an  unwillingness  on  the  part  of  the 
Father  ?  Behold,  then,  how  visionary  and  unjust  have  been 
your  views !  If  anything  can  be  required  to  strengthen  all  that 
has  been  said,  it  is  with  delight  I  refer  you  to  a  passage  to 
which  one  of  the  class-leaders  in  this  city  has  just  turned  my 
attention,  when  conversing  upon  this  subject  (John  16) :  "  At 
that  day  ye  shall  ask  in  my  name  :  and  I  say  not  unto  you, 
that  I  will  pray  the  Father  for  you."  As  much  as  to  say,  this 
shall  be  a  matter  of  course,  in  virtue  of  my  Mediatorship ;  this 
you  need  not  doubt ;  this  you  cannot  doubt ;  the  many  proofs 
of  my  love  to  you  forbid  it.  But  the  Father  shall  require  no 
entreaty  :  "  For  the  Father  himself  loveth  you,  because  ye  have 
loved  me,  and  have  believed  that  I  came  out  from  God." 

These  are  beautiful  and  touching  expressions.  I  hope  in 
God  that  faith  may  soon  realize  their  blessed  import,  and  that 
the  time  is  at  hand  when  you  shall  be  enabled  to  rejoice  in  the 
Lord,  "  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory." 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

THE   BACKSLIDER   BESTORED. 

You  may,  indeed,  well  call  upon  heaven  and  earth  to  assist 
you  in  celebrating  the  high  praises  of  your  pardoning  God. 
How  clearly  do  you  now  see  that  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost,  were  united  in  the  great  work  of  saving  you  out  of  the 
hands  of  all  your  enemies ! 

"  Now,  unbelief,  stand  forth,  and  tell 
What  is  too  hard  for  God." 

How  peculiarly  awful  has  been  your  case !  Through  what  a 
scene  of  mental  conflict  have  you  passed !  You  have,  indeed, 
paid  dearly  for  your  sin  ;  nor  is  it  likely  you  will  ever  repeat  it, 
or  anything  similar ;  the  penalty  is  too  great, —  you  have  learned 
wisdom  from  what  you  have  suffered,  —  should  you  again  back- 
slide from  God,  the  suffering  to  be  endured  is  now  no  secret  to 
your  conscience.  It  is  not,  therefore,  likely  you  will  hazar' 
another  such  trial.  It  has  been  in  your  case,  during  your  la^ 
trial,  as  it  is  with  the  damned  in  hell.  Hell  begins  upon  earth, 
and  therefore  we  may  look  for  a  similarity  in  some  respects ; 
such  as  self-reproach,  self-torture,  and  unavailing  regret.  The 
extremes  are  great,  it  is  true,  as  much  so  as  time  and  eternity, 
finite  and  infinite  ;  and  therefore  the  degrees  must  be  different, 
while  the  mental  materials  are  the  same.  An  hour  after  you 
felt  your  innocence  and  peace  had  departed,  you  would  have 
given  a  thousand  worlds  the  circumstance  had  not  occurred ; 
but  what  was  done  could  not  be  undone,  nor  yet  banished  from 
your  memory,  —  the  sting  was  left  behind  ;  and,  in  all  the  bit- 
terness of  unavailing  regret,  you  gave  yourself  up  to  "lamenta- 
tions, and  mourning,  and  woe."  Thus,  while  the  justice  of 
God  has  received  a  sufficient  vindication,  your  future  faithful- 


394  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

ness  is  also  secured;  perhaps,  your  zeal  and  usefulness  also. 
What  humility  and  gratitude  are  manifest  in  your  expressions ! 
What  a  dread  of  falling  into  sin  again !  How  strong  and 
determined  the  resolution  to  avoid  everything  that  would  grieve 
your  Lord  ! 

*'  After  all  that  I  have  done, 

Saviour,  art  thou  pacified  ? 
Whither  shall  my  vileness  run  ? 

Hide  me  earth,  the  sinner  hide  ! 
Let  me  sink  into  the  dust, 

Full  of  holy  shame,  adore  ! 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Good,  the  Just, 

Bids  me  go  and  sin  no  more  ! 

"  O  confirm  the  gracious  word, 

Jesus,  Son  of  God  and  Man ! 
Let  me  never  grieve  thee.  Lord, 

Never  turn  to  sin  again : 
Till  my  all  in  all  thou  art, 

Till  thou  bring  thy  nature  in, 
Keep  this  feeble,  trembling  heart ; 

Save  me,  save  me,  Lord,  from  sin." 

How  has  God  frustrated  the  designs  of  the  devil !  He  thought 
nothing  less  than  that  he  had  effected  a  breach  between  God 
and  you,  which  would  last  forever.  How  wonderfully  has 
the  Lord  overruled  the  works  of  the  devil :  "  Out  of  the  eater 
came  forth  meat,  and  out  of  the  strong  came  forth  sweetness." 
Judges  14:  14.  And  now  that  you  are  forgiven, — now  that 
the  storm  is  hushed,  and  a  holy  calm  has  overspread  your  storm- 
beaten  heart,  —  now  that  all  the  clouds  with  which  conscious 
guilt  had  overcast  your  sad  and  shuddering  soul  have  vanished 
away  before  the  sunshine  of  that  countenance  which  has  beamed 
upon  you  from  above, — now  that  the  light  of  the  glory  of  God, 
in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  has  illumined  your  soul,  you  may 
venture  a  look  upon  the  past. 

Is  it  not  a  matter  of  surprise  to  yourself,  that  after  all  the 
rich  blessings  you  had  received  from  God,  —  the  many  months 
of  sweet  communion  you  enjoyed  with  himself,  when 

"  With  cords  of  love  he  drew  you  on, 
And  half  revealed  his  face."  — 


THE  BACKSLIDER  RESTORED.  395 

that  you  should  have  been  so  much  off  your  guard  as  to  have 
permitted  the  devil  and  your  own  corruptions  to  drive  you  to 
and  fro,  as  a  leaf  in  the  wind,  until  you  were  carried  away, 
body  and  soul,  into  captivity  and  death  ? 

Perhaps,  when  you  take  your  education  into  the  account, 
your  astonishment  may  be  increased.  Illumined  as  your  mind 
was,  by  the  light  of  science  as  well  as  by  that  of  religion^  you 
were  much  better  prepared  to  judge  between  vice  and  virtue 
than  the  vulgar  herd  of  mankind.  You  were  capable,  both  by 
education  and  religion,  to  look  over  and  far  beyond  the  multi- 
tude ;  qualified,  not  only  to  give  an  example,  both  in  word  and 
deed,  but  also  to  profit  by  the  example  of  others,  whether  good 
or  bad.  The  punishment  of  many  for  their  follies  should  have 
been  admonitory  and  instructive  to  you.  It  was  quite  enough 
for  you  to  know,  by  observation  upon  others,  that  "  the  way  of 
transgressors  is  hard,"  without  proving  it  to  be  so  for  yourself. 
Had  you  been  faithful,  the  example  of  others  should  have  made 
your  cautioned  soul  withdraw  from  the  road  which  led  them  to 
ruin  ;  and  this  should  have  been  your  happiness.  Instead  of 
having  obtained  wisdom  at  so  dear  a  rate,  you  might  have 
looked  upon  the  damage  sustained  by  others,  and  so  have 
become  more  wise  and  happy.  I  write  not  these  things  to 
reproach  you,  nor  to  cast  a  gloom  over  your  happy  mind,  but 
from  an  anxiety  that  you  may  profit  as  you  should  from  your 
melancholy  fall.  Now  that  you  have  recovered  yourself  out 
of  the  snare  of  the  devil,  by  whom  you  have  been  "  led  captive," 
deep  humility  is  becoming.  That  is  a  very  remarkable  passage 
in  Ezekiel  16  :  68 :  "  That  thou  mayest  remember  and  be 
confounded,  and  never  open  thy  mouth  any  more  because  of 
thy  shame,  when  I  am  pacified  toward  thee  for  all  that  thou 
hast  done,  saith  the  Lord  God."  Humility  is  taught  here. 
Never  to  open  thy  mouth  any  more  to  hoast^  to  murmur  to 
judge  harsJdy  of  others. 

But  the  passage  does  not  mean  that  you  should  bury  your 
talent,  by  refusing  to  speak  for  God,  or  to  bear  testimony  as  to 
what  God  has  done  for  you,  as  well  as  to  exhort  others  to  seek 
the  same  salvation.     Beware  of  this  snare  of  the  devil,  —  he 


396  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

will  drive  you  to  extremes,  if  he  can.     It  is  highly  proper  that    M 
you  should  learn  some  important  lesson  from  what  you  have 
suffered,  for  the  guidance  of  your  future  history.     But  I  must 
close.     Be  watchful.     Live  much  in  the  spirit  of  prayer.     Live* 
a  life  of  faith  on  the  Son  of  God. 

"  Forever  here  my  rest  shall  be, 
Close  to  thy  bleeding^  side." 

If  you  wish  to  ward  off  "  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear," 
keep  the  love  of  God  in  your  heart ;  but  this  you  never  can  do 
unless  you  keei^  faith  there, — faith  in  the  blood  of  Jesus.  Press 
after  holiness ;  rest  not  till  you  love  God  with  all  your  heart. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

OF    PRAYER. 

Concerning  prayer  the  Scripture  phraseology  is,  pray  ahvays, 
pray  continually,  pray  luithout  ceasing,  pray  with  perseverance. 
Mr.  Wesley  describes  it  as  "a  spiritual  respiration,  by  which 
the  life  of  God  is  kept  alive  in  the  soul."  The  soldier  may 
have  his  weapons,  and  the  bird  its  wings,  but  they  may  not  be 
always  using  them  in  the  fighting  and  flying  sense;  there 
should  be  in  us  a  gracious  aptitude  to  pray,  although  we  cannot 
be  always  upon  our  knees.  "  Praying  always,"  says  the  apos- 
tle, *'  with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in  the  spirit,  and  watching 
thereunto  with  all  perseverance."  I  remember  reading  a  remark 
somewhere  equivalent  to  this,  —  that,  when  the  saint  is  likely 
to  be  foiled  by  the  world,  the  flesh,  or  the  devil,  prayer  is  the 
letter  which  he  sends  post  to  heaven,  for  fresh  supplies  of  the 
Spirit,  whereby  he  becomes  more  than  conqueror.  That  was  a 
fine  saying  of  a  good  man,  now  with  God,  "  God  looketh  not  so 
much  on  the  elegancy  of  our  prayers,  how  neat  they  are,  —  nor 
on  the  geometry  of  our  prayers,  how  long  they  are,  — but  to  the 
sincerity  of  our  prayers,  how  hearty  they  are."  The  heart 
should  always  be  in  tune ;  ready,  upon  the  least  touch  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  to  discourse  in  the  ears  of  God  the  sweetest  music. 

"  O  may  my  heart  in  tune  be  found, 
Like  David's  harp  of  solemn  sound !  " 

As  to  "  language,"  who  wants  a  display  of  eloquence  from  a 
needy  beggar  ?  Love  and  sincerity  in  the  heart,  and  the  deep 
necessities  of  the  soul,  never  fail  to  "  set  off*,"  and  render  agree- 
able to  the  Lord,  the  most  blundering  language.  When  in 
Leeds,  Yorkshire,  I  was  told  of  a  poor  ignorant  peasant,  who 
got  awakened  to  a  concern  about  his  soul,  and  was  in  great  dis- 
34 


398  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

treSs.  He  was  at  work,  one  day,  upon  the  top  of  a  high  hill, 
which  encouraged  his  heart  much,  because  the  old  man  thought 
"  Surely,  I  am  now  nearer  heaven  than  in  the  lowlands,  and 
therefore  I  must  be  nearer  God."  But  he  was  sorely  exercised 
and  buffeted  by  the  devil,  notwithstanding;  and  on  this  account 
partly, —  that  God  seemed,  to  his  apprehension,  to  be  still  a  great 
way  off;  and,  being  surrounded  with  a  bulky  material,  he  raised 
a  great  heap,  clambered  to  the  top  of  it,  and  considering  that  it 
was  not  possible  to  get  any  higher,  he  steadied  himself  upon 
his  knees,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  "  God  Almighty,  and  his 
Son,  Jesus  Christ,  baith  [both]  on  ye,  hear  me!"  His  supplica- 
tions entered  into  the  ears  of  God,  and  the  distressed  sinner 
then  and  there  found  mercy,  and  descended  from  his  elevation 
freely  justified  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

I  have  heard  many  singular  and  coarse  prayers  offered  to  the 
Divine  Majesty,  during  the  last  few  years,  and  have  wondered 
at  the  condescension  of  God  ;  but  it  was  easy  to  perceive  that 
the  heart  of  the  supplicator  was  sound,  and  full  of  faith  and 
love.  When  we  hear  a  bell  ring,  we  can  readily  tell  whether  it 
be  "sound  or  cracked,"  or  what  kind  of  metal  it  is  made  of. 
The  bellman  may  ring  it  badly,  and  the  clapper  may  be  none 
of  the  best,  and  the  frame-work  very  indifferent ;  but,  however 
awkward  the  toll,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  deciding  whether  the 
bell  itself  be  sound  or  the  contrary.  A  spiritual  mind  may 
often  make  this  distinction  in  regard  to  a  praying  brother ;  but 
with  God  there  can  be  no  uncertainty,  however  we  may  be 
deceived.  If  many  "  Christians  of  taste  "  would  but  allow  such 
a  consideration  to  weigh  with  them,  they  might  obtain  much 
more  good  from  the  prayers  of  the  poor,  who  are  often  rich  in 
faith  and  love. 

Prayer  must  be  si7icere.  Jacob  said  to  his  mother,  "  If  I  dis- 
semble, my  father  will  find  me  out,  and  I  shall  receive  a  curse, 
instead  of  a  blessing."  It  is  written  in  the  seventy-eighth  Psalm 
that  backslidden  Israel  "  flattered  God  with  their  mouth,  and 
lied  unto  him  with  their  tongues,"  and  no  doubt  made  many 
long  and  eloquent  prayers.  But  it  is  said  in  the  one  hundred 
and  forty-fifth  Psalm,  "  The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  all  them  that 


OF    PRAYER.  399 

call  upon  him ;  to  all  that  call  upon  him  in  truth."  I  was  told, 
the  other  day,  of  a  good  man,  in  a  certain  place,  who  was  kneel- 
ing beside  an  individual  in  a  prayer-meeting.  The  latter  began 
to  pray  by  addressing  a  long  list  of  elegant  compliments  to  the 
Almighty.  At  length,  giving  the  coat  of  the  praying  brother 
a  sharp  twitch,  the  good  man  said,  '^Ask  him  for  something, 
brother ! " 

War  must  be  declared  in  the  heart  against  all  sin,  though 
dear  and  necessary  as  a  right  eye,  or  foot,  or  hand  (Matt.  5 : 
29,  30),  or  the  Lord  will  not  answer  prayer.  Hence,  the  cau- 
tionary reflection  of  the  psalmist,  "  If  I  regard  iniquity  in  my 
heart,  the  Lord  will  not  hear  me." 

Prayer  must  be  ardent.  "  Prayer  without  a  heart,"  says  one, 
"  is  like  a  body  without  a  soul ;  what  a  deformed,  loathsome 
thing  is  a  body  without  a  soul !  truly,  so  is  thy  prayer  without  a 
heart."  And  it  must  be  persevering.  Instance  that  remarkable 
prayer  of  Daniel,  ninth  chapter;  how  earnest  the  following 
words :  "  0  Lord,  hear ;  0  Lord,  forgive ;  O  Lord,  hearken, 
and  do ;  defer  not  for  thine  own  sake,  oh  my  God ;  for  thy  city 
and  thy  people  are  called  by  thy  name."  I  have  read  of  one 
Paulus  ^milius,  who,  on  the  eve  of  a  battle  with  the  Mace- 
donians, would  not  give  over  sacrificing  to  his  god,  Hercules, 
until  he  imagined  there  were  signs  of  victory.  What  a  lesson 
is  here  for  Christians !  "  Every  good  prayer,"  says  Bishop 
Hall,  "knocketh  at  heaven  for  a  blessing;  but  an  importunate 
prayer  pierceth  it,  and  makes  way  into  the  ears  of  God." 

I  have  listened,  before  now,  to  the  clock  when  striking;  how 
actively  and  nimbly  the  wheels  within  seem  to  be  going !  It  is 
even  thus  with  the  converted  heart,  and  even  with  the  true 
penitent,  —  there  is  a  stir  within. 

"Prayer  ardent"  draws  out  the  whole  soul  after  the  blessing 
sought.  When  this  is  continued  some  time,  for  any  special 
object,  it  is  then  supplication.  Both  terms  are  used  in  Ephe- 
sians  6  :  18 ;  but  they  are  not  synonymous.  Prayer  is  the  simple 
desire  of  the  heart  expressed  in  words,  and  may  be  immediately 
answered,  —  or  inay  gradually  subside,  in  the  same  hour,  into 
a  silent  and  patient  submission  to  the  will  of  God,  accompanied 


400  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

with  the  comforting  promise,  "  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee." 
Supplication  is  prayer  continued ;  it  follows  God  up  and  down, 
as  it  were,  day  and  night,  begging,  crying,  entreating,  and  will 
give  him  no  rest,  —  will  not  let  him  go,  until  he  says,  "Be  it 
unto  thee  even  as  thou  wilt."  The  great  and  good  Mr.  Cecil 
used  to  say,  when  one  of  his  children  cried,  he  would  remain 
in  his  study,  thinking  that  some  toy  or  other  might  probably 
satisfy  it ;  but  when  it  continued  to  cry,  and  nothing  would  do 
but  his  presence,  then  he  came  to  the  child  immediately.  This 
is  supplication. 

You  may  probably  remember  the  anecdote  of  Demosthenes 
and  the  client.  One  came  to  him  in  a  court  of  law,  where  an 
important  case  was  pending,  and  whispered  in  his  ear  that, 
unless  he  undertook  his  cause,  he  feared  he  should  lose  his 
suit :  "  I  am  already  beaten,"  said  the  client.  The  orator  replied, 
"  I  don't  believe  you."  At  last  the  man  cried  out,  in  great  dis- 
tress. "  Ay !  now  I  feel  your  cause,"  said  Demosthenes.  He 
only  whispered  before,  and  the  statesman  could  not  believe  his 
cause  was  so  desperate,  and  consequently  had  no  feeling  for 
him;  but  when  he  "cried,"  the  effects  were  of  quite  a  different 
character.  Have  you  never  observed  the  motions  of  a  mother 
toward  her  child  ?  When  it  whimpers  and  whines  a  little,  she 
will  not  run  to  it  immediately,  although  she  may  cast  many  an 
anxious  look  in  that  direction ;  but  when  it  cries  outright,  she 
drops  all,  and  is  with  it  in  a  moment.  We  lose  much  for  want 
of  earnestness.  James  5 :  16.  "  A  low  voice,"  says  one,  "  does 
not  cause  a  loud  echo ;  neither  doth  a  lazy  prayer  procure  a 
liberal  answer.  Sleepy  requests  cause  but  dreams,  —  vciGxe  fan- 
cied returns.  When  there  is  a  cushion  under  the  knees,  and  a 
pillow  of  idleness  under  the  elbows,  there  is  little  work  to  be 
done.  A  lazy  prayer  tires  before  it  goes  half  way  to  heaven. 
When  Daniel  was  fervent  all  day,  an  angel  was  sent  at  night 
with  the  answer."  Prayer  must  be  according  to  the  charter  in 
1  John  5:  14;  nor  need  we  desire  a  larger:  "i/*  we  ask  any- 
thing according  to  his  will,  he  heareth  us" £tc.  Prayer,  like  a 
building  in  course  of  erection,  must  keep  on  the  foundation  of 
the  word  and  promise  of  God,  else  the  whole  fabric  must  come 


OF    PRAYER.  401 

to  the  ground.  The  psahnist  understood  this  when  he  said, 
"  Remember  the  word  unto  thy  servant,  upon  which  thou Jiast 
caused  me  to  hope."  "  God,"  in  the  language  of  another,  "  like 
a  wise  father,  denies  us  liberty  to  cry  for  the  candle  that  would 
burn  us,  and  the  thorns  that  would  prick  our  fingers ; "  though 
the  hedges  are  in  the  bloom  of  spring,  and  every  thorn  has  its 
flower;  "  but  he  gives  us  liberty,  nay,  commands  us  to  besiege 
and  storm  heaven ;  day  and  night  to  give  him  no  rest ;  to  be 
instant,  urgent,  fervent,  that  our  persons  may  be  justified,  our 
natures  sanctified,  and  our  souls  and  bodies  glorified  eternally." 

We  should  look  for  answers  to  prayer.  This  proves  our  sin- 
cerity, while  it  honors  the  veracity  of  God.  There  is  a  fine 
allusion  in  Psalm  5:  3,  —  some  think  it  relates  to  archery;  "I 
will  DIRECT  my  prayer  unto  thee,"  take  aim,  "and  will  look 
up."  "  I  will  watch  the  arrow,  and  see  where  it  lights,  or 
whether  it  hit  the  mark."  Others  have  supposed  a  martial  idea 
implied  :  "I  will  direct,"  —  "set  in  order,"  as  a  general  would 
say,  —  "I  will  rise  early,  set  my  requests  toward  God,  as  sol- 
diers in  battalion;  in  rank  and  file:  I  will  so  marshal  them 
that  they  be  not  routed,  by  being  out  of  order ;  I  will  see  that 
they  stand  in  their  places,  and  keep  their  ground.  When  I 
have  so  done,  I  will  go  to  my  watch-tower,  and  see  the  fight, 
and  observe  what  execution  they  will  make  upon  my  adversa- 
ries ;  whether  my  troops  [prayers]  have  power  with  God,  lose 
ground,  or  win  the  day."  2  Sam.  19  :  24,  28.  "Prayer,"  says 
one,  "  is  both  a  charm  to  enchant,  and  a  scourge  to  torment 
Satan  ;  it  engageth  Christ  in  the  combat,  and  assureth  the  soul 
of  conquest." 

Come,  then,  my  dear  sir.  Come  to  the  throne  of  grace. 
You  need  a  blessing.     Come  boldly,  — 

"Heaven  is  never  deaf,  but  when  man's  heart  is  dumb  ; 
Heaven  finds  an  ear  when  sinners  find  a  tongue." 

"  The  kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth  violence,  and  the  violent 

take  it  by  force."     Matt.  11:  12.     Fear  not  to  agonize  and  cry 

to  God.     The  mercies  of  God  may  be  like  fruit  upon  a  tree ; 

though  fully  ripe,  they  may  want  a  shaking  to  bring  them  down ; 

34# 


402  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

pra,Y  fervently,  and  in  faith,  and  this  will  cause  them  to  descend 
in  blessings  on  your  soul. 

Your  views  of  drawing  near  to  God  are  perhaps  correct  enough, 
only  they  would  seem  to  carry  the  idea  that  God  is  cold,  dis- 
tant, and  immovable.  If  such  was  your  meaning,  nothing  can 
be  more  incorrect.  "  Beware  of  too  much  refining."  A  writer, 
some  years  ago,  attempted  to  illustrate  prayer  thus :  A  man  in  a 
small  boat  grapples  a  large  ship  with  a  boat-hook,  and  draws 
himself  alongside,  but  he  never  stirs  the  ship ;  therefore,  it  is  by 
prayer  we  draw  ourselves  to  God, — not  God  to  us.  Another  uses 
the  same  figure,  but  substitutes  a  rope  for  the  boat-hook,  by 
which  he  pulls  the  boat  to  the  ship,  and  not  the  ship  to  the  boat. 
It  is  quite  true  we  approach  God  by  prayer ;  and  he  who  never 
prays  has  no  right  to  expect  any  favor  from  God ;  and,  dying  a 
prayerless  sinner,  the  separation  between  him  and  his  Maker 
must  be  perpetuated  throughout  eternity.  But  I  do  not  like  the 
idea,  however  ingeniously  carried  out,  that  God  is  as  stationary 
with  regard  to  the  returning  sinner,  or  praying  believer,  as  the 
ship  to  the  boatman.  It  seems  to  make  against  the  analogy  of 
Scripture  :  "  Draw  nigh  to  God,  and  he  will  draw  nigh  to  you." 
James  4 :  8.  This  seems  like  a  proposal  to  meet  us  half  way ; 
and  if  we  take  the  example  of  the  father,  in  the  case  of  the  prod- 
igal son  (Luke  15),  as  illustrative  of  the  willingness  of  God 
to  receive  returning  sinners,  our  Heavenly  Father  performs  the 
largest  part.  The  prodigal  did  not  run  to  meet  his  father,  but 
the  father  ran  to  meet  the  repenting  son,  "and  fell  upon  his 
neck,  and  kissed  him." 


CIL4PTER    XXVI. 

THE   BELIEVER   IN   AFFLICTION. 

The  reader  probably  has  often  said,  "  It  is  to  me  a  great 
mystery,  why  the  Lord  suffers  his  children  to  be  afflicted,  while 
the  wicked  are  in  prosperity,  and  have  what  they  like."  The 
reasons  are  unquestionably  wise,  though  we  may  not  be  able  to 
find  them  out  in  this  world.  You  are  aware  that  those  who 
have  often  tried  to  turn  baser  metal  into  gold  have  always  acted 
first  upon  the  Latin  motto,  Abstractio  terrestrietatis  a  materia, 
"  The  abstraction  or  drawing  away  of  earthliness  from  the  mat- 
ter of  their  metal."  It  is  thus  that  God  has  to  begin  with  our 
base  souls,  before  they  are  turned  into  fine  gold ;  by  affliction,  if 
not  by  the  fire  of  his  Spirit,  he  abstracts  our  earthliness,  etc. 
You  may  remember  that  Hercules  could  never  conquer  Antaeus 
"till  he  had  lifted  him  up  above  the  earth,  his  mother." 

The  "furnace  of  affliction"  not  unfrequently  accomplishes 
what  other  means  cannot.     That  is  a  pretty  idea  of  a  poet  : 

"As  iron  cold,  and  dark,  and  dead, 
Into  a  furnace  cast, 

Warms  by  degrees,  grows  sparkling  red. 
And  turns  mere  fire  at  last,  — 
So  to  the  furnace  of  thy  love 
May  my  cold  heart  aspire, 
Till,  all  transmuted  from  above, 
It  glows  a  heavenly  fire  !  " 

The  sentiments  of  an  old  divine,  which  just  now  occur  to  me, 
may  perhaps  be  more  satisfactory.  "Why  doth  a  father,  when 
he  seeth  two  boys  fighting  in  the  street,  correct  his  son,  and  not 
the  other  ?  Why  doth  the  schoolmaster  take  a  stricter  account 
of  the  scholar  he  best  affecteth,  than  of  others,  whom  he  suffereth 
to  play  the  truant?     Why  doth  the  husbandman  let  the  unfruit- 


404  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

ful  and  unsavory  trees  grow  out  at  length,  without  pruning,  but 
pruneth  the  fragrant  roses,  and  pricketh  the  fruitful  vines  till 
they  bleed  ?  Why,  but  because  the  former  are  designed  for  fire- 
wood, and  the  latter  for  fragrance  and  fruit  ?  Why  doth  the 
physician,  when  he  seeth  his  patient  desperate,  give  order  to 
them  that  are  about  him  to  deny  him  nothing  that  he  hath  a 
mind  to ;  but  if  he  hath  any  hope  of  the  recovery  of  any  patient 
of  his,  he  keepeth  him  in  diet,  forbiddeth  him  such  things  as  he 
most  desireth,  and  prescribeth  for  him  many  meats  and  potions 
which  go  against  the  stomach  ?  Lastly,  Why  doth  a  captain  set 
the  best  soldiers  in  the  fore-front  of  battle,  and  appointeth  them 
to  enter  in  at  the  breach,  with  apparent  hazard  of  their  lives  ? 
Why,  but  that  they  may  get  the  greatest  honor  ? "  "  Better," 
said  a  good  man,  "weep  in  Christ's  school, athan  sport  at  the 
devil's  games ;  better  to  want  all  things,  and  to  have  God's  love, 
than  to  have  all  things  else,  and  want  it.  If  it  had  not  been  bet- 
ter, Moses  would  never  have  chosen  to  suffer  affliction  with  the 
people  of  God."     Heb.  11 :  15. 

I  have  read  of  an  ancient  nation,  the  nobles  of  which  consid- 
ered it  a  great  honor  to  be  corrected  by  their  prince ;  and,  though 
painful,  yet  they  seemed  to  rejoice  in  it,  thanking  him  for  tak- 
ing such  pains  with  them  as  to  minister  the  correction  to  them 
himself.  Read,  at  your  leisure,  Revelation  3  :  19 ;  Deuteronomy 
8:  15;  Proverbs  8 :  11,  12;  Hebrews  12:  9  to  the  13th  verse, 
inclusive;  also,  Genesis  4 :  13;  Job  31 :  3;  Hebrews  10 :  29; 
Leviticus  26 :  18.  These  passages,  though  they  belong  to  sep- 
arate classes  of  Scripture  declarations,  and  refer  to  very  different 
characters,  resemble  so  many  glasses  placed  opposite  to  each 
other;  they  reflect  a  mutual  and  harmonious  light.  And  surely 
you  cannot  deny  that  the  wicked  are  also  afflicted ;  their  afflic- 
tions, however,  are  penalties  inflicted  by  their  sovereign  Judge ; 
but  there  is  a  difference  between  chastening  and  punishing  ;  the 
former  implies  a  father,  but  the  latter  a  judge ;  in  the  one  we 
have  love,  but  in  the  other  satisfaction  to  justice.  "  God  as  a 
Father,"  says  some  writer,  "  inflicteth  with  grief  and  compas- 
sion, moderateth  with  mercy,  and  directeth  by  providence  all  the 
strokes  laid  upon  his  children."     "  Is  not  that  elegant  speech  of 


THE    BELIEVER    IN    AFFLICTION.  405 

St.  Austin  a  riddle,"  said  an  individual,  —  "  God  chastens  whom 
he  loves,  yet  loves  not  to  chasten  ? "  "  Not  at  all,"  was  the 
reply,  "  for  a  surgeon  lances  the  flesh  of  his  dearest  friend  or 
brother,  in  love,  yet  he  takes  no  delight  in  lancing;  nor  would 
he  do  it,  but  to  prevent  the  festering  of  the  sore." 

Perhaps  your  friend  is  saying,  with  one  of  old,  "  Show  me 
that  the  countenance  of  God  is  not  changed  towards  me,  nor  his 
affections  estranged  from  me,  and  it  sufficeth ;  surely,  kisses  and 
embraces,  not  blows  and  strokes,  are  love  compliments.  How 
may  I  be  persuaded  that  God  layeth  this  heavy  cross  upon  me 
in  love  ? "  "  Nay,"  was  the  reply  to  the  discouraged  saint,  "  how 
canst  thou  not  be  persuaded,  seeing  he  himself  hath  said,  '  As 

MANY   AS    I    LOVE,    I    REBUKE    AND    CHASTEN  '  ?  "      ReV.  3  :   19. 

Let  her  consider  the  case  of  poor  Benjamin.  Did  not  Joseph 
love  him  better  than  all  his  brethren  ?  and  yet  he  suffered  most 
severely ;  for  the  cup  was  found  in  Benjamin's  sack. 

"Afflictions  oft  but  serve  to  hide 
Some  good  as  yet  unknown." 

I  know  not  that  we  are  called  to  have  a  liking  for  affliction ; 
nature,  I  think,  may  recoil,  where  there  may  be  the  elements  of 
real  submission  to  God ;  Matthew  26  :  39  is  worthy  of  her  con- 
sideration :  "  If  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me,"  would 
seem  to  indicate  an  unwillingness  to  suffer,  —  at  least,  a  shrinking 
from  it.  "  Nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt,"  "  seems 
to  show,"  said  a  good  man,  "  a  resolute  will.  Here  is  a  consent 
of  will,  without  a  will  of  consent ;  a  will  against  a  will,  or  a  will 
and  not  a  will ;  noii  mea^  sed  tua.  As  man,  our  Lord  had  a 
natural  fear  of  death,  and  a  desire  of  life,  yet  with  a  submission 
to  the  will  of  his  Father.  It  was  not  his  will  to  take  that  cup 
for  itself,  and  antecedently,  and  as  he  saw  wrath  in  it;  yet  as  he 
saw  the  salvation  of  man  in  it,  and  greater  glory,  it  was  his  will 
to  drink  it  off  consequently,  because  such  was  his  Father's  good 
pleasure,  to  which  his  will  was  always  subordinate." 

God  has  said,  "  As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten." 
Mrs.     =^     ^     =^  ,  then,  is  one  of  the  many.     It  is  her  privilege 


406  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

to  have  it  to  say  in  the  future,  although  at  present  it  is  not  joy- 
ous, but  grievous : 

"  It  was  a  sanctified  distress, 
And  brought  new  joys  to  me." 

Moses  doubtless  saw  many  interesting  things  in  the  pleasant 
gardens  of  Egypt,  but  he  "  must  needs  "  go  into  the  vc^ilderness 
of  Sinai  to  see  what  he  saw  in  the  thorny  bush.  It  was  not  in 
pleasant  scenes,  nor  in  the  gardens  of  spices,  nor  in  the  sunshine 
of  prosperity,  the  spouse  in  the  Song  of  Solomon  found  him 
whom  her  soul  loved ;  but  in  the  dark  night  of  adversity,  when 
there  were  none  to  help,  and  many  discouragements.  Her 
Heavenly  Father  is  only  making  good  that  prediction  of  -our 
Lord,  "  Ye  shall  weep  and  lament,  but  the  world  shall  rejoice ; 
and  ye  shall  be  sorrowful."  Let  her,  however,  remember,  that 
the  same  verse  contains  a  blessed  promise :  "  But  your  sorrow 
shall  be  turned  into  joy."  Matt.  16  :  20.  "  For  our  light  afflic- 
tion, which  is  but  for  a  moment,  worketh  for  us  a  far  more 
exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory."     2  Cor.  4:17. 

Tell  her,  from  me,  that  it  does  not  seem  unfit  that  those  who 
are  to  enjoy  a  high  state  of  honor,  a  weightier  glory,  and  a 
brighter  crown  in  heaven,  should  carry  a  heavier  cross  upon  earth. 
It  would  seem  that  the  Lord,  who  is  all  goodness,  is  desirous  of 
making  her  a  partaker  of  all  the  happiness  of  which  she  is 
capable;  but  still,  it  requires  another  world  to  explain  and 
illustrate  all  the  ways  of  God  towards  us  in  the  present. 

What  you  mention  has  been  termed  by  one  "  Satan's  master- 
piece." Yet  I  find  it  difficult  to  make  those  nice  distinctions 
you  require.  That  the  devil  often  attempts  to  rob  those  of  the 
true  jewels  of  .grace  who  have  them,  and  to  deceive  them  with 
counterfeits  in  their  place,  I  cannot  doubt ;  and,  that  he  palms 
them  ofi"  upon  those  who  never  have  had  saving  grace,  I  do  not 
question.  "  He  imitates,"  says  a  writer,  "  a  cunning  lapidary, 
who  insinuates  into  the  company  of  a  rich  merchant,  and  getting 
a  sight  of  his  cabinet  of  jewels,  cheats  him  with  counterfeit 
stones." 

I  happened  upon  a  distinction,  the  other  day,  in  an  old  book, 


THE    BELIEVER    IN    AFFLICTION.  407 

which  may  render  you  some  assistance  in  the  work  of  self- 
examination. 

•  Religion  is  a  true  jewel,  Superstition  is  a  counterfeit. 
Humility  a  jewel,  Pusillanimity  a  counterfeit. 
Spiritual  Wisdom  a  jewel,  Worldly  Policy  a  counterfeit. 
Liberality  a  jewel,  Prodigality  a  counterfeit. 
Tenderness  of  Conscience  a  jewel,  Scrupulosity  a  counterfeit. 
Severity  a  jewel.  Cruelty  a  counterfeit. 
Clemency  a  jewel.  Indulgence  a  counterfeit. 
Zeal  a  jewel.  Indiscreet  Fervor  a  counterfeit.  * 

Diligent  Search  into  Divine  Mysteries  a  jewel.  Curiosity  a  counterfeit. 
Inward  Peace  a  jewel.  Carnal  Security  a  counterfeit. 
Confidence  in  God  a  jewel.  Presumption  a  counterfeit. 
Constancy  a  jewel,  Pertinacity  a  counterfeit." 

You  may  inform  Mr.  ^  ^  =^  that  it  has  never  appeared  to 
me  there  is  any  difference,  or  want  of  reconciliation,  between 
St.  Paul  and  St.  James,  on  the  subject  of  "  faith  and  good 
works."  True,  St.  Paul  speaks  of  our  being  justified  by  faith 
only,  without  works;  and  St.  James,  of  our  being  justified  by 
our  works ;  but  the  former  refers  to  works  done  before  justifica- 
tion, and  of  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  pardon  of  sins  by 
them ;  but  the  latter  speaks  of  works  done  after  justification, 
and  that  faith  without  works  is  dead,  being  alone, — that  we 
justify  our  assertion,  that  we  enjoy  saving  faith,  when  we  prove 
our  faith  by  our  works.  I  think  a  divine,  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  grapples  effectually  with  the  dangerous  principles  of 
=^  =^  =^ ;  it  is  tlie  only  reply  I  have  time  at  present  to  send, 
whatever  may  be  done  in  the  future :  "  Let  no  man  adulterate 
the  truth,  nor  impose  upon  Christ's  mercy  what  it  will  not  bear; 
nor  endeavor  to  sever  faith  from  good  works,  lest  he  sever  his 
soul  from  life.  For  though  faith  justify  our  works  before  God, 
yet  our  works  justify  our  faith  before  men.  Hence,  saith  St. 
James,  *  Show  me  thy  faith  without  thy  works,  and  I  will  show 
thee  my  faith  by  my  works.'  James  2  :  IS.  All  persons  who 
hope  for  eternal  life  should  desire,  with  the  apostle  St.  Paul, 
Phil.  3  :  9,  recognizing  at  the  same  time  those  expressive  words 
of  Christ  Jesus,  Mat.  5 :  20.  Faith  and  good  works  must  and 
do  ever  accompany  each  other,  when  faith  is  genuine  and  sav- 


408  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

ing;  and  anything  short  of  that  is  devilish.  James  2:  19. 
And  again,  in  the  same  chapter :  *  Even  so  faith,  if  it  hath  not 
works,  is  dead,  being  alone.'  It  is  evident  unto  all,  except  they 
be  blind,  that  the  eye  alone  seeth  in  the  body,  yet  the  eye  which 
seeth  is  not  alone  in  the  body,  without  the  other  senses ;  the 
forefinger  alone  pointeth,  yet  that  finger  is  not  alone  on  the 
hand;  the  hammer  alone  striketh  the  bell,  yet  the  hammer 
which  striketh  is  not  alone  in  the  clock;  the  heat  alone  in  the 
fire  burneth,  and  not  the  light,  yet  that  heat  is  not  alone  without 
light ;  the  helm  alone  guideth  the  ship,  and  not  the  tackling,  and 
yet  the  helm  is  not  alone,  nor  without  the  tackling ;  in  a  com- 
pound electuary,  rhubarb  alone  purgeth  the  choler,  yet  the  rhu- 
barb is  not  alone  without  the  other  ingredients.  Thus  we  are  to 
conceive,  that  though  faith  alone  doth  justify,  yet  that  faith  which 
justifieth  is  not  alone,  but  joined  with  charity  and  good  works. 
Many  please  themselves  with  a  resemblance  of  Castor  and  Pollux, 
two  lights  appearing  on  ships,  sometimes  severally,  sometimes 
jointly :  if  either  appeareth  by  itself,  it  presageth  a  storm  ;  if 
both  together,  a  calm ;  (with  their  leave  be  it  spoken)  this  their 
simile  is  dissimile.  For  those  lights  may  be  severed,  and  actu- 
ally are,  often ;  but  justifying  faith  cannot  be  severed  from  good 
works,  nor  these  from  it.  Thus  far  it  holdeth,  that  unless  we 
have  a  sense  and  feeling  of  both  in  our  own  souls,  we  may  well 
fear  a  storm.  St.  Bernard's  distinction  of  via  regni,  and  causa 
regnandi,  cleareth  this  point :  '  Though  good  works  are  not  the 
cause  why  God  crowneth  us,  yet  we  must  take  them  in  our  way 
to  heaven,  else  we  shall  never  come  there.  It  is  as  impious  to 
deny  the  necessity,  as  to  maintain  the  merit,  of  good  works.' " 

"  Easy,  indeed;  it  were  to  reach. 
A  mansion  in  the  courts  above, 
If  swelling  words  and  fluent  speech 
Might  serve  instead  of  faith  and  love. 
But  none  shall  gain  that  blissful  place, 
Or  God's  unclouded  glory  see, 
Who  talks  of  free  and  sovereign  grace, 
Unless  that  grace  hath  made  him  free." 


THE    BELIEVER    IN   AFFLICTION.  409 

With  regard  to  your  own  experience  in  the  things  of  God, 
there  is  nothing  surprising  that  you  find  yourself  encompassed 
by  unexpected  difficulties,  while  aiming  at  entire  devotedness  to 
God;  or  that,  in  digging  for  the  hidden  treasure  of  "perfect 
love,"  you  only  find  a  little  of  it  now  and  again,  beneath  a  heavy 
cross.  We  are,  indeed,  "  sanctified  by  faith ;  "  Acts  26  :  18 ; 
but  crosses  may  lie  in  the  way,  and  they  must  be  taken  up,  in 
order  to  the  steady  venturing  of  soul,  body,  and  spirit,  upon  the 
veracity  of  Jesus  Christ  in  his  promises.  And,  even  after  you 
have  received  that  great  blessing,  in  otder  to  advance  to  the 
"perfecting  of  holiness,"  the  cross  must  not  be  avoided.  The 
cross  may,  indeed,  cost  you  "  more  trouble  and  pain  than  the 
other  part  of  the  toil,"  but  then  you  may  find  a  treasure  of  love 
underneath  every  cross ;  I  cannot,  therefore,  see  that  you  have 
any  cause  of  complaint,  though  your  crosses  are  numerous.  It 
is  recorded,  that  Tiberius  Constantinus,  in  the  year  577,  ordered 
a  golden  cross,  set  in  marble,  to  be  dug  up,  that  it  might  not  be 
trodden  upon  by  the  unthinking ;  but  when  this  was  done,  there 
was  another  gold  cross  beneath  it,  and  a  second,  and  so  a  third 
and  a  fourth ;  but  there  is  no  intimation  that  Constantinus  was 
sorry  to  have  had  so  much  trouble ;  the  gold  of  the  cross  made 
ample  payment  for  the  toil  and  expense  of  the  digging.  The 
persecuted  Rutherford  used  to  say  :  "  Some  have  one  cross,  some 
seven,  others  ten,  and  some  half  a  cross ;  yet  all  the  saints  have 
whole  and  full  joy  ;  and  seven  crosses  have  seven  joys." 
35 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

HINTS  TO   MINISTERS. 

A  CALL  to  preach  is  frequently  just  what  Jeremiah  describes 
it  to  be.  Although  he  was  tempted  to  say,  "  I  will  not  make 
mention  of  him,  nor  speak  any  more  in  his  name,"  yet  when  he 
held  his  peace,  he  tells  us  the  word  of  the  Lord  was  in  his 
heart  as  a  burning  fire  shut  up  in  his  bones  :  ^'  And  I  was  weary 
with  forbearing,  and  I  could  not  stay."  Jer.  20 :  9.  The  fol- 
lowing verse  shows,  that  when  he  ceased  to  be  the  aggressor 
against  the  devil  and  his  children,  they  united  to  injure  his 
character  and  influence  :  "I  heard  the  defaming  of  many,"  says 
he,  "  fear  on  every  side.  Keport,  say  they,  and  we  will  report 
it.  All  my  familiars  watched  for  my  halting,  saying,  peradven- 
ture  he  will  be  enticed,  and  we  shall  prevail  against  him,  and 
we  shall  take  our  revenge  on  him." 

The  minister  of  Christ  should  ever  be  the  assailant,  —  the 
invader  of  the  devil's  territories.  He  is  always  the  safest  in  a 
revival  of  religion.  This  is  his  proper  sphere ;  and  if  called  of 
God  to  preach  the  Gospel,  in  this  he  will  be  in  his  congenial 
element,  —  more  happy  in  such  active  warfare  than  in  any 
other  part  of  his  ministerial  office. 

A  call  to  preach  may  be  buried  in  the  heart,  as  live  embers 
on  the  hearth  are  frequently  covered  with  ashes  ;  there  is  no 
flame,  nor  perhaps  scarcely  a  glow.  What  is  to  be  done? 
Clear  away  the  incumbent  ashes ;  stir  up  the  coals,  add  fuel, 
and  you  may  have  a  blaze ;  a  glorious  revival ! 

"Jesus,  confirm  my  heart's  desire, 
To  work,  and  speak,  and  think,  for  thee  ; 
Still  let  me  guard  the  holy  fire, 
And  still  stir  up  thy  gift  in  me." 


HINTS    TO   MINISTERS.  411 

I  think  you  will  find  an  answer  to  your  inquiries  in  those 
striking  sentiments  of  Mr.  Wesley.  I  have  not  his  works  at 
hand,  but  I  shall  give  the  substance,  as  correctly  as  I  can,  from 
memory.  "  I  have  often  been  musing  why  the  generality  of 
Christians,  even  those  who  are  really  such,  are  less  active  for 
God  when  middle-aged  than  when  they  were  young.  May  we 
not  find  an  answer  in  those  remarkable  words  of  our  Lord, 
repeated  no  less  than  eight  times  by  the  evangelists :  '  For 
whosoever  hath,'  that  is,  improveth  what  he  hath,  '  to  him  shall 
be  given,  and  he  shall  have  more  abundance ;  but  whosoever 
hath  not,'  hath  not  improved  the  gift  of  God, '  from  him  shall  be 
taken  away  even  that  he  hath.'  A  measure  of  zeal  and  activity 
is  given  to  every  man  when  he  is  born  of  God ;  but  if  he  cease 
or  intermit  to  do  good,  he  will  insensibly  lose  both  the  will  and 
the  power."  This  I  consider  directly  to  the  point.  To  every 
man,  when  called  of  God  to  preach,  there  is  a  measure  of  zeal 
and  activity  given  ;  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  vigorous,  con- 
stant efforts  for  the  salvation  of  lost  sinners.  I  also  as  firmly 
believe,  that  those  who  have  entered  the  ministry  without  any 
such  feelings,  and  from  other  motives,  have  miserably  mistaken 
their  calling;  nor  have  learning  and  theological  reading  in 
general,  nor  the  exercise  of  their  ministerial  functions,  called 
into  exercise  any  such  feelings  in  the  heart  of  such  men.  But 
a  man  may  backslide  from  first  principles ;  he  may  lose  that 
burning  and  consuming  desire  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  ;  he 
may  cease  or  intermit  to  put  forth  active  exertions  for  their  sal- 
vation, so  as  insensibly  to  decline  from  his  usual  "  zeal  and 
activity,"  until  he  totally  lose  out  of  his  soul  "the  will  and  the 
power  "  to  do  good,  and  thus  become  weak  and  feeble  as  another 
man.  Thus,  that  which  he  had  has  been  taken  away ;  and,  not 
unfrequently,  he  loses  his  ability  (in  whatever  sense  you  please), 
until  he  become  the  veriest  drone,  and  a  burden  to  the  church 
of  God. 

Let,  therefore,  the  minister  of  Jesus  continually  improve  upon 
what  was  given  him  when  first  called  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and 
he  shall  gradually  and  rapidly  increase  in  zeal  and  activity,  —  in 
power  to  do  good,  and  success  in  doing  it.     But,  if  he  "  cease  or 


412  REVIVAL'  MISCELLANIES. 

intermit"  his  revival  efforts,  unless  in  case  of  ill  health,  or 
uncontrollable  circumstances,  he  will  insensibly  lose  his  revival 
power,  and  become  like  another  man. 

It  is  not  necessary,,  perhaps,  that  a  minister  should  backslide 
in  heart  or  life,  "popularly  speaking,"  to  lose  revival  zealj 
activity,  and  ability.  Let  him  change  or  soften  down  the  matter 
and  method  of  his  sermons,  and  adopt  a  corresponding  mode  of 
operation,  differing  from  what  characterized  him  when  he  was 
as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  continually  encompassed  with  penitent 
sinners  and  new  converts ;  let  him  be  content  with  his  pulpit 
exhibitions,  to  the  neglect  of  "those  varieties  of  means,"  — 
prayer-meetings,  exhortations,  select  meetings  for  penitents, 
personal  conversation  with  sinners,  joyful  reception  of  and 
cooperation  with  local  preachers  and  leaders,  in  prayer-meet- 
ings before  and  after  sermon ;  and  very  soon  "  the  gift  of  God" 
will  not  only  be  taken  from  him,  but  he  will  most  likely  be 
found  speaking  against  those  things  which  were  once  his  glory. 

It  is  a  dangerous  state  of  mind,  when  a  minister  begins  to 
suffer  himself  to  change  plans,  etc.,  which  have  been  hitherto 
successful  in  the  conversion  of  sinners.  Not  a  few  cases,  dur- 
ing the  last  twenty  years,  have  presented  such  glaring  and  fear- 
ful contrasts.  A  minister  may  still  be  popular,  though  he  has 
backslidden  from  soul-saving.  Secularities  are  hazardous.  They 
may,  indeed,  be  nothing  more  than  church  usages,  which  custom 
has  thrown  within  the  range  of  the  duties  of  the  preacher.  He 
may  become  secular,  "  an  active  business  man,"  without  going 
out  of  the  ministry ;  but  it  is  often  at  the  expense  of  his  spirit- 
uality and  usefulness.  He  may,  it  is  true,  be  doing  all  these 
things  "  for  the  good  of  the  church,"  and  her  institutions ;  still 
he  may  become  secular  in  his  spirit,  and  be  more  concerned  for 
pounds,  shillings,  and  pence,  than  for  the  number  of  sinners 
likely  to  be  awakened  and  converted  under  his  ministry.  When 
"the  collection"  has  been  made  and  counted,  he  is  satisfied  (if 
it  has  been  a  good  one),  and  will  go  home,  and  let  poor  sinners 
do  the  same,  without  staying  to  see  whether  the  "  good  sermon," 
or  powerful  and  stirring  truths,  he  has  uttered,  have  taken  effect 
upon  the  ranks  of  wickedness  ;  whether  there  is  not  some  poor 


HINTS    TO    MINISTERS.  413 

wounded  penitent  who  may  want  healing,  and  for  whose  conver- 
sion faithful  prayer  should  be  offered. 

The  church  is  frequently  to  blame ;  although  the  minister, 
from  past  associations  and  business  habits,  acquired  before  he 
entered  the  ministry,  may  have  a  bias  for  "arranging  and  trans- 
acting temporalities."  The  apostles  themselves  were  in  danger 
of  being  ensnared  by  these  very  things.  They  took  the  alarm, 
however,  called  the  "  multitude  of  the  disciples "  together,  and 
said,  "  It  is  not  reason  that  we  should  leave  the  word  of  God  and 
serve  tables.  Wherefore,  brethren,  look  ye  out  among  your- 
selves seven  men  of  honest  report,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
wisdom,  whom  we  may  appoint  over  this  business.  But  we  will 
give  ourselves  continually  to  prayer,  and  to  the  ministry  of  the 
word."  Acts6:l — 5.  It  seems  "the  saying  pleased  the  whole 
multitude,"  and  proper  men  were  immediately  appointed  over 
the  "  temporalities  of  the  church."  The  results  were  just  what 
might  have  been  expected ;  we  are  told  in  the  seventh  verse  of 
the  same  chapter,  "  And  the  word  of  God  increased ;  and  the 
number  of  the  disciples  multiplied  in  Jerusalem  greatly." 

But,  you  will  say,  "  What  is  to  be  done,  when,  in  many  places, 
there  are  none  to  undertake  the  management  of  such  matters  ;  at 
least,  with  the  proper  spirit  ?  They  must,  therefore,  be  left  un- 
done, unless  the  preacher  throws  his  energies  into  them."  Well, 
then,  I  suppose  the  minister  must  take  hold  of  them,  and  when 
a  necessity  is  thus  laid  upon  him,  God  will  give  him  grace 
according  to  his  day;  and,  I  am  happy  to  say  there  are  minis- 
ters of  God  within  the  circle  of  my  acquaintance  in  England 
who,  though  almost  pressed  to  the  earth  by  such  cares,  yet  fre- 
quently rise  above  them,  and  preach  the  Gospel  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven ;  and  who  enter  into  the  revival 
as  if  they  had  not  a  single  anxiety  connected  with  the  "  seculari- 
ties  of  the  church." 

Your  remarks  upon  the  "splendor  of  pulpit  talents,  and 
absence  of  fruit ;  and  on  the  inefficiency  of  such  efforts  in  the 
awakening  and  conversion  of  sinners,"  are  very  good.  I  have 
known  ministers  who  have  substituted  "  eloquent  preaching  and 
well-studied  sermons "  for  prayer-meetings  after  preaching,  fre- 
35=^ 


414  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

quent  exhortations,  personal  conversations  with  sinners,  vigorous 
efforts  for  the  conversion  of  penitents,  and  the  cooperation  of  local 
preachers  and  leaders  in  such  meetings ;  nor  have  I  ever  yet 
observed  splendor  of  talent,  and  blazonry  of  pulpit  imagery, 
make  up  for  the  absence  of  these  powerful  auxiliaries  to  a  Gos- 
pel ministry.  Whereas,  I  have  noticed  men  whose  talents  and 
learning  were  far  inferior  crowned  with  the  most  abundant  suc- 
cess, by  the  employment  of  the  helps  to  which  I  have  just 
alluded. 

It  is,  however, "to  be  feared  that  some  repose  over  much  confi- 
dence in  prayer-meetings,  etc.,  and  too  little  in  the  preached 
word ;  as  if  more  could  get  converted  in  these  means  than  dur- 
ing the  deliverance  of  the  Gospel  message.  This  is  to  be  regret- 
ted; for,  surely,  it  would  seem  a  most  fit  and  proper  time  for 
God  to  save  sinners,  during  the  proclamation  of  the  glad  tidings 
of  salvation.  But  let  it  be  remembered  that  others  run  to  the 
very  opposite  extreme ;  and,  if  they  do  not  scout  the  idea  of  a 
prayer-meeting,  are  seldom,  if  ever,  seen  in  one.  So  far  from 
staying  to  manage  such  a  service,  they  disappear  from  the  con- 
gregation as  soon  as  their  work  is  finished  in  the  pulpit.  Now, 
I  think  those  preachers  are  most  successful  who  unite  both 
means  together ;  who  do  not  put  asunder  what  God  hath  joined, 
—  faithful,  pointed,  searching  preaching,  preceded  and  followed 
by  the  effectual  fervent  prayers  of  many  righteous  men.  We 
are  to  wield  the  tremendous  truths  of  God  upon  the  consciences 
of  sinners,  and  to  offer  them  salvation  just  then,  through  faith 
in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  But,  should  it  be  discovered  (and  an 
earnest  preacher  will  leave  no  means  untried  to  find  this  out) 
that  sinners |have  been  awakened  and  wounded, —  not  healed, — 
not  converted  by  the  truth,  what  is  his  next  duty  ?  Let  him 
have  a  prayer-meeting  immediately :  "  Pray  one  for  another  that 
ye  may  be  healed,"  saith  the  apostle.  And,  after  all,  what  is  a 
faithful  prayer,  but  a  repetition  of  the  Gospel  message  in  the 
sermon  ?  I  have  often  listened  to  such  prayers  after  I  had  fin- 
ished my  discourse,  and  have  perceived  in  them  ten-fold  more 
point  and  energy  than  in  anything  I  had  said,  and  far  more 
effectual.     Penitents  are  called  forward  to  the  communion  rail 


HINTS    TO    MINISTERS.  415 

for  prayer  and  instruction  ;  can  there  be  anything-  wrong  in  this  ? 
The  local  preachers  and  leaders,  and  the  minister  himself,  if 
you  please,  become  acquainted  with  the  feelings  and  hindrances 
of  these  individuals.  The  sight  of  their  eyes  affects  their  hearts; 
their  sympathies  are  at  once  excited ;  and  there  is  a  close  con- 
nection between  sympathy  and  "the  prayer  of  faith."  Is  it  to 
be  wondered  at,  then,  that  the  prayers  are  fervent  and  to  the 
point,  and  full  of  that  important  declaration  of  Jesus :  "  As 
Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the 
Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up  ;  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life." 

Whatever  others  may  do,  my  brother,  consider  not  your  work 
finished  when  the  sermon  is  over.  Enter  into  the  prayer-meet- 
ing. But  you  need  not  kill  yourself.  Wield  the  talents  of  the 
church  of  God.  You  are  surrounded  with  praying  men,  or  will 
be  very  soon,  if  your  plans  are  once  known ;  men  who  will 
esteem  it  an  honor  and  a  privilege  to  cooperate  with  you  in  this 
blessed  w^ork. 

As  to  "  the  sudden  grievous  pause "  in  that  revival,  I  cannot 
say  whether  the  affair  of  which  you  speak  was  the  cause ;  but  I 
do  not  think  you  have  cause  to  write  bitter  things  against  your- 
self. Joshua,  by  his  faith,  could  arrest  the  sun  over  Gideon 
during  the  space  of  an  entire  day,  so  that  he  had  two  days  in 
one,  in  which  to  pursue  his  victory  over  the  enemies  of  his  God  ; 
and  by  the  same  faith  was  the  moon  stayed  in  the  valley  of 
Ajalon ;  but  he  could  not  stop  a  wicked  Achan  from  coveting  a 
wedge  of  gold,  and  a  goodly  Babylonish  garment.  He  could  not* 
prevent  the  sinner  hiding  them  beneath  his  tent,  nor  could  he 
rally  his  dispirited  troops  to  battle.  For  wickedness  was  in  the 
camp ;  his  mighty  men  of  war  fled  and  fell  before  their  enemies, 
and  the  hearts  of  the  people  became  as  water.  "  O  Lord  God," 
cried  Joshua,  "  what  shall  I  say,  when  Israel  turneth  their  backs 
before  their  enemies  !  " 

It  is  difficult,  perhaps  impossible,  to  lay  down  rules  as  to  how 
the  Spirit  of  God  may  allow  himself  to  be  influenced  by  such 
cases  of  "backsliding  or  treachery,"  during  a  revival.  A  great 
work  of  God  was  advancing  in  majesty  and  power,  in  an  Ameri- 


416  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

can  city,  some  years  ago.  But,  in  the  very  midst  of  it,  thef  min- 
ister of  that  church  committed  a  horrible  sin,  and  fled  from  the 
city,  with  the  companion  of  his  guilt.  The  servants  of  God, 
however,  remained  at  their  post,  humbled  themselves  before 
God,  held  fast  their  confidence,  and  stood  forth  before  the  public 
the  undaunted  champions  for  Christ  and  his  truth.  Other  min- 
isters came  to  the  assistance  of  the  weeping  but  fighting  church ; 
and,  notwithstanding  the  sneering  contempt  of  the  ungodly,  the 
revival  continued  to  spread  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left, 
and  many  souls  were  added  to  the  afflicted  people  of  God. 

"  If  the  teacher,"  says  Cecil,  "  whom  this  man  (a  mere  prose- 
lyte to  truth)  has  chosen  for  his  oracle,  disgrace  religion,  by 
irreligious  conduct,  he  stumbles.  He  stumbles,  because  he  is 
not  fixed  upon  the  sole  immovable  basis  of  the  religion  of  the 
Bible.  The  mind  well  instructed  in  the  Scriptures  can  bear  to 
see  even  its  spiritual  father  make  shipwreck  of  faith,  and  scan- 
dalize the  Gospel ;  but  will  remain  itself  unmoved.  The  man  is 
in  the  possession  of  a  treasure,  which,  if  others  are  foolish  enough 
to  abandon,  yet  they  cannot  detract  anything  from  the  value 
attached  to  it  in  his  esteem." 

I  knew  a  case,  but  not  similar  in  all  respects,  which  happened 
on  my  circuit  several  years  ago,  during  a  remarkable  out-pouring 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  At  a  certain  period  of  the  revival,  an  indi- 
vidual came  to  me,  and  confessed  he  had  fallen  from  God.  1 
was,  as  it  were,  thunderstruck.  He  had  been  one  of  my  most 
zealous  men,  praying  and  exhorting  every  night.  Again  and 
again,  it  appeared,  he  had  left  the  house  of  God,  and  allowed 
himself  to  be  carried  captive  by  the  devil  at  his  will.  He  was 
now,  however,  enduring  the  agonies  of  a  remorse  which  showed 
how  deep  and  sincere  was  his  repentance.  But,  during  the 
times  of  these  occurrences,  the  work  never  ceased,  and  the  vilest 
sinners  were  converted  to  God. 

I  believe,  supposing  penitents  are  sincere,  that  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  would  come  down  and  convert  them,  though  surrounded 
by  devils,  or  the  most  abominable  of  our  race.  Ordinarily,  how- 
ever, we  may  suppose  that  defection,  or  positive  wickedness, 
among  professors  of  religion,  will  retard  or  extinguish  a  revival. 


HINTS    TO    MINISTERS. 


417 


What  you  mention,  I  consider  trying  indeed.  But,  "What 
is  that  to  thee,  —  follow  thou  me,"  says  your  Lord.  Whatever 
other  preachers  may  do,  your  duty  and  mine  is  plain,  to  bring 
as  many  sinners  to  God  as  we  can.  Who  is  accounted  the  best 
soldier  on  the  field  of  battle?  Surely,  the  man  who  uses  his 
weapons  in  the  most  effective  manner ;  he  who  makes  the  blood- 
iest work  among  the  enemies  of  his  country.  Who  is  the  ablest 
minister,  the  best  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ?  He,  surely,  who 
wields  to  the  best  advantage  "the  weapons  of  his  warfare," 
and  who  makes  the  greatest  havoc  among  the  servants  of  the 
devil,  —  the  widest  inroads  upon  the  ranks  of  wickedness.  In 
other  words,  he  who  obtains  most  seals  to  his  ministry,  —  the 
most  numerous  company  of  souls  for  his  hire. 

For  an  officer  to  recline  in  the  shade,  when  the  troops  of  Im- 
manuel  are  in  the  field  of  battle,  is  both  mortifying  and  dis- 
couraging to  the  other  officers  and  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Were  a  British  officer  to  do  the  like,  under  such  circumstances, 
the  rigors  of  martial  law  would  disgrace  him  forever.  There 
is  a  discipline  quite  as  strict  and  severe  in  Immanuel's  army ; 
with  this  exception,  that  cowards,  traitors,  and  deserters,  are 
not,  perhaps,  so  speedily  dealt  with.  "  Sentence  against  an 
evil  work  is  not  speedily  executed,"  says  an  inspired  writer. 
But  to  trifle  with  a  revival,  and  turn  into  ridicule  the  efforts  of 
the  faithful  and  laborious  servants  of  Christ,  is  a  species  of 
wickedness  which  is  difficult  to  be  tolerated,  — quite  as  difficult, 
perhaps,  as  to  touch  the  case  with  a  soft  and  lenient  hand.  I 
have  read  of  a  philosopher,  who,  in  a  great  tempest  at  sea, 
endeavored  to  amuse  the  passengers  with  many  trifling  and 
impertinent  questions,  and  was  thus  answered,  according  to  his 
folly  :  "^re  ive  perishing,  and  dost  thou  trijle  ?  "  Are  sinners 
grieving  the  Holy  Spirit,  wearying  the  patience  of  God,  disap- 
pointing the  expectations  of  all  heaven,  and  aflfording  malignant 
triumph  to  all  hell  ?  arp  believers  and  God's  precious  ministers 
weeping  between  the  porch  and  the  altar,  crying,  "  Spare  them, 
oh  good  Lord"?  Are  they  casting  themselves  into  the  breach, 
and  wrestling  in  mighty  prayer,  lifting  up  their  voices  like 
trumpets,  at  the  risk  of  health  and  life,  crying, — 


418  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

**  Come,  oh  my  guilty  brethren,  come, 
Groaning  beneath  your  load  of  sin  ; 
His  bleeding  heart  shall  make  you  room, 
His  open  side  shall  take  you  in : 
He  calls  you  now,  invites  you  home ; 
Come,  oh  my  guilty  brethren,  come  L." 

Behold  this,  oh  =^  ^  =^  ^,  and  wilt  thou  trifle?  I  rejoice  that 
your  spirit,  my  brother,  is  stirred  within  you.  One  of  the 
fathers  felt  something  similar  when  he  exclaimed,  "  O  that 
there  were  given  unto  me,  from  the  altar  above,  not  one  coal, 
but  a  fiery  globe,  —  a  heap  of  coals  to  scorch  the  abuses  of  the 
times,  and  burn  out  the  inveterate  rust  of  vicious  customs." 
This  state  of  mind  requires  to  be  carefully  guarded,  lest  it 
should  degenerate  into  a  fiery  zeal.  See  to  it  that  your  own 
soul  is  a  flame  of  love  to  God  and  man.  Cry  earnestly  unto 
God  for  a  baptism  of  fire,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Without 
this,  you  may  preach  "hejl  and  damnation"  as  you  please,  but 
you  will  have  little  success  among  sinners.  It  is  not  by  the  ter- 
rors of  the  law  of  God,  but  by  offers  of  mercy  through  the 
atonement,  we  are  to  win  men.  Not  that  you  are  to  neglect 
the  law ;  it  has  its  use,  but  beyond  a  certain  point  it  cannot  go. 
"As  the  flame  in  the  bush,"  says  a  writer, "  made  the  thorns  visible 
without  consuming  them,  so  the  fiery  law  discovers  men's  sins, 
but  does  not  abolish  them."  "The  whole,"  remember,  "need 
not  a  physician,  but  they  that  are  sick."  Let  sinners  be  wounded 
first,  before  you  attempt  to  heal.  Inattention  to  this  is  the  great 
cause  of  inefficient  preaching.  Some  men  are  all  honey,  all 
kindness  and  mercy ;  they  expatiate  most  eloquently  and  inge- 
niously upon  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  atonement,  and  the 
willingness  of  God  to  save  sinners  ;  yet  you  hear  of  very  few 
souls  converted  under  their  ministry.  The  Gospel,  as  they 
preach  it,  needs  a  Boanerges,  or  a  John  the  Baptist,  going  before 
to  prepare  the  way,  crying,  "  O  generation  of  vipers,  who  hath 
warned  you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come?  Bring  forth, 
therefore,  fruits  meet  for  repentance."  When  such  a  messenger 
has  aroused  the  careless  to  a  concern  for  their  souls,  or  broken 
them  down  into  repentance,  and  inflicted  deep  wounds  in  their 


HINTS    TO   MINISTERS.  419 

bleeding  consciences,  then  these  "kind  and  winning  preach- 
ers "  may  have  good  success  in  the  free  and  full  declaration  of 
the  redeeming  plan.  He  is,  however,  the  ablest  minister  of  the 
New  Testament,  who  has  that  combination  of  talent  within 
himself  necessary  for  "  breaking  down  and  building  up ;  "  such 
as  was  manifest  in  our  Saviour's  preaching,  —  "  Ye  serpents,  ye 
generation  of  vipers,  how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell  ? " 
"  Wherefore,  if  thy  hand  or  thy  foot  offend  thee,  cut  them  off, 
and  cast  them  from  thee  :  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life 
halt  or  maimed,  rather  than  having  two  hands  or  two  feet  to  be 
cast  into  everlasting  fire.  And  if  thine  eye  offend  thee,  pluck 
it  out,  and  cast  it  from  thee :  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into 
life  with  one  eye,  rather  than  having  two  eyes  to  be  cast  into 
hell  fire."  "  Bind  him  hand  and  foot,  and  take  him  away,  and 
cast  him  into  outer  darkness :  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnash- 
ing of  teeth."  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and 
learn  of  me ;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart ;  and  ye  shall 
find  rest  unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden 
is  light." 

Preach,  therefore,  plainly  and  pointedly ;  call  things  by  their 
scriptural  names.  Be  not  afraid  of  the  faces  of  the  wicked ; 
make  heavy  thrusts  at  the  conscience,  —  wield  the  terrors  of 
hell,  and  lay  around  the  sword  of  the  law,  and  hew  on  all  sides 
with  a  giant  arm ;  but  preach  Christ  crucified,  —  lift  him  up 
upon  the  cross,  bleeding,  groaning,  dying  for  sinners ;  cry, 

"Jesus  drinks  the  bitter  cup, 
The  wine-press  treads  alone  ; 
Tears  the  graves  and  mountains  up 
By  his  expiring  groan. 

"  O,  my  God,  he  dies  for  me  ; 
I  feel  the  mortal  smart ! 
See  him  hanging  on  the  tree, — 
A  sight  that  breaks  my  heart ! 

"  O,  that  all  to  thee  might  turn  ! 
Sinners,  ye  may  love  him  too  ; 
Look  on  him,  ye  pierced,  and  mourn 
For  one  who  bled  for  vou  !  " 


420  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

Preach  thus,  and  sinners  will  not  flee  from  you ;  but  they 
will  be  drawn  towards  and  around  you,  as  by  an  influence  from 
heaven ;  and  Jesus  shall  see  of'  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  be 
satisfied.  What  saith.  your  Lord?  ^'And  J,  if  I  he  lifted  up 
from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 

But  repeat  the  blow,  again  and  again,  night  after  night,  week 
after  week,  till  the  wicked  stagger  and  fall,  because  they  can 
hold  out  no  longer.  "  Sinners  get  the  pores  of  their  souls 
opened  by  an  awakening  sermon,"  said  a  good  man,  "  but,  going 
into  the  cold  atmosphere  of  the  world,  they  get  a  cold,  which 
shuts  all  up  again,  and  this  frequently  proves  fatal."  If  you 
wish  to  avoid  this,  don't  give  them  time  to  cool ;  not  a  whole 
week,  not  two  days,  if  you  can  help  it.  Come  upon  them  again 
as  soon  as  possible ;  follow  the  blow.  They  cannot  stand  up 
under  such  a  Gospel  hammer,  when  wielded  systematically, 
uninterruptedly,  and  vigorously.  Let  your  heart  all  the  time 
be  right  with  God.  Have  one  single  steady  aim,  to  glorify  God 
and  save  sinners.  . "  When  we  want  an  arrow  to  go  right 
home,"  says  old  Humphrey,  "there  is  nothing  like  taking  a 
single  aim."  This  is  what  a  good  friend  of  mine  calls  "  using 
a  rifle-barrel  instead  of  a  scattering  blunderbuss."  Lay  siege 
to  the  sirmer,  to  every  sinner,  in  this  series  of  sermons.  Thunder 
at  the  door  of  his  heart ;  but  ofler  him  mercy,  through  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb. 

"When  Popilius,"  says  a  writer,  "by  order  of  the  Roman 
senate,  required  Antiochus  to  withdraw  his  army  from  the  King 
of  Egypt,  and  he  desired  time  to  deliberate,  the  haughty  Roman 
drew  a  circle  about  him  with  his  wand,  and  said.  In  hoc  stans 
delibera,  "  Give  a  present  answer  before  you  move."  This  is 
the  kind  of  preaching  we  want  in  the  nineteenth  century. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS. 

What  you  say  is  perfectly  correct.  "  Is  not  my  word  a  hammer, 
saith  the  Lord,  to  break  the  rock  in  pieces  ? "  "  But,"  adds  an 
old  divine,  "  it  will  never  break  the  stony  heart,  if  lightly  laid 
on.     What  is  preached  coldly  is  heard  carelessly." 

I  dare  not  judge  in  the  case  of  "^  "^  ^  #  #  #.  A  cold  and 
languid  manner  may  arise  from  various  causes.  Ill  health,  sore 
temptation,  indifference  of  God's  people,  or  smallness  of  the 
congregation,  may  for  a  season  produce  this,  in  a  sensitive  or 
nervous  constitution ;  but  the  individual  may  not  have  "  back- 
slidden from  God,"  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term,  notwith- 
standing. I  have  known  ministers  get  into  this  state,  when 
they  have  not  been  in  a  revival  for  some  months ;  in  fact,  I  have 
myself,  when  so  circumstanced,  been  frequently  thus.  When 
out  of  a  revival  for  some  time,  I  am  apt  to  become,  as  to  vigor 
in  preaching,  quite  another  man.  Engaging  in  a  revival  has  a 
remarkable  tendency  to  invigorate  the  soul  of  a  preacher,  and  to 
impart  a  keenness  of  edge,  and  a  piercing  point,  to  his  preaching. 
Lessons  upon  the  true  method  of  preaching  to  sinners  are 
learned  during  a  revival,  which  are  seldom  or  never  to  be 
obtained  in  the  retirement  of  the  study. 

During  several  years  of  my  ministry,  I  have  been  compelled 
to  retire  from  revival  efforts,  in  the  summer  months,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  extreme  heat  peculiar  to  the  American  climate. 
I  preached  regularly,  of  course,  to  my  people  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  attended  to  my  pastoral  visitations ;  but  wds  unable  to  go 
on  with  special  services,  such  as  I  am  engaged  in  at  present. 
My  ministrations,  during  such  seasons,  were  often  feeble,  and 
my  mind  not  un frequently  drawn  to  what  may  be  termed  a 
36 


422  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

speculative  theology.  I  have  now  before  me  a  whole  pile  of 
manuscript  sermons,  written  during  such  intervals :  but  they  are 
quite  useless  to  me  in  this  revival  tour ;  in  fact,  were  I  to  preach 
them  to  my  present  congregations,  they  would  soon  put  an  end 
to  the  revival.  Not  that  they  are  erroneous,  but  they  do  not 
contain  that  class  of  truth  which  is  adapted  to  promote  a  revival 
in  actual  operation. 

My  revival  campaigns  in  America  began  usually  in  the 
autumn,  and  were  continued  until  April  or  May.  Hostilities 
against  the  devil's  kingdom  had  no  sooner  commenced  in  good 
earnest,  than  the  style  of  my  preaching  underwent  a  marked 
change.  New  energies  seemed  to  be  infused  into,  my  soul  and 
body,  with  a  large  increase  of  spirituality  of  mind,  with  a  clearer 
evidence  of  holiness,  and  a  proportionate  augmentation  of  con- 
scious happiness.  My  health,  too,  has  always  improved  on 
these  occasions;  so  that,  in  reference  to  physical  as  well  as 
intellectual  strength,  many  times  I  have  been  led  to  exclaim,  "I 
am  a  new  man !  " 

You  will  not,  I  hope,  understand  me,  that  I  totally  neglected 
to  warn  sinners  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  during  summer. 
Not  so ;  my  preaching  sometimes  manifested  considerable  energy 
and  point ;  and  now  and  again,  sinners  got  awakened  and  con- 
verted. But  not  being  able  to  follow  the  blow,  sinners,  after  a 
few  weeks,  got  hard,  and  fortified  themselves  against  feeling  the 
power  of  truth ;  and  this  discouraged  and  weakened  me.  Neither 
would  sinners  hear  those  alarming  and  tremendous  appeals  in 
my  ordinary  ministry,  that  were  often  witnessed,  and  by  which 
frequently  whole  ranks  were  mowed  down,  during  an  extraordi- 
nary and  long-continued  conflict.  In  these  "  special  services  " 
unconverted  people  expect  to  hear  terrible  things,  as  a  matter  of 
course.  It  is  distinctly  understood,  "  designs  are  on  foot  against 
them ; "  that  nothing  less  is  intended  than  to  make  them  the 
prisoners  of  the  Lord.  A  fearful  catastrophe  this  to  the  carnal 
mind !  The  line  of  demarcation  has  been  drawn  between  the 
world  and  the  church;  and  so  clearly,  too,  that  if  an  alien  to  the 
commonwealth  of  Israel  has  mistaken  his  ground,  "  he  soon  finds 
the  place  too  hot  for  him,"  and  must  either  be  tormented  like  a 
devil,  or  surrender  to  the  truth,  or  retreat  among  the  enemies  of 


MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS.  423 

the  Lord.  "The  sinners  in  Zion  are  afraid;  Tearfulness  hath 
surprised  the  hypocrites.  Who  among  us  shall  dwell  with  the 
devouring  fire  ?  Who  among  us  shall  dwell  with  everlasting 
burning  ?  "  Isaiah  33  :  14.  The  minister  now  occupies  inde- 
pendent ground.  The  devil's  children  have  little  time  for  mutiny 
against  his  ministry.  The  servant  of  God  does  not  allow  them 
half  a  week  to  criticize  his  sermon,  nor  to  band  together  to  leave 
him  empty  seats  on  the  coming  Sabbath.  One  sermon,  when 
taken  apart  from  the  rest,  may  have  many  hard  and  unbearable 
things  in  it;  but,  before  they  can  well  enter  their  protest  m 
behalf  of  their  fellow-sinners,  whom  they  consider  "  outraged," 
two  or  three  of  a  similar  character  follow  it,  and  with  such 
"  stunning  power "  that  they  are  thrown  into  confusion,  and 
know  not  what  to  do.  Five  come  to  the  house  of  God,  where  one 
stays  away.  Reports  of  all  kinds  are  afloat,  and  those  who  con- 
cluded not  to  go  again  are  impelled  by  curiosity,  or  by  a  secret 
uneasiness,  to  mingle  with  the  multitudes  on  their  way  to  hear 
the  truth.  To  their  surprise,  the  chapel  is  as  full  as  ever ;  and, 
notwithstanding  all  the  ridicule  they  have  heaped  upon  the 
preacher,  they  discover  his  popularity  to  be  above  and  beyond 
their  control.  The  minister  has  thrown  down  the  gauntlet  of 
defiance  against  the  devil  and  his  children.  The  faith  and 
expectation  of  God's  people  are  rapidly  ascending  to  a  climax, 
and  a  glorious  victory.  There  is  now  no  beating  of  the  air  with 
idle  words.  Nor  is  there  anything  like  trimming  between  sin- 
ner and  Christians,  so  as  to  please  both  in  the  sermon ;  no 
MINCING  of  the  truth  ;  no  fear  of  offending ;  the  truth,  the  whole 
-truth,  nothing  but  the  naked  scorching  truth,  in  all  it»  tremen- 
dous power,  is  thrown  into  the  ranks  of  wickedness,  like  balls  of 
fire ;  and  with  a  physical  and  intellectual  energy  that  amazes 
the  man  of  God  himself,  while  it  strikes  terror  and  universal 
consternation  throughout  the  hosts  of  the  ungodly.  This  is  not 
a  "  fancy  sketch."  I  have  seen  it  thus  often,  when  the  slain  and 
the  healed  of  the  Lord  have  been  very  many.  This  is  the  reason 
why  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  one  year,  receives  her 
one  hundred  thousand  converts;  and  why  she  has  arisen,  during 
the  last  twenty  years,  from  three  hundred  and  twenty-eight  thou- 


424  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

sand  five  hundred  and  twenty-three  members,  to  about  one 
million  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  members;^ — showing 
an  increase  of  upwards  of  eight  hundred  thousand  during  those 
twenty  years ! 

I  repeat  it  again  :  in  one  revival  of  religion,  a  man  will  learn 
better  how  to  preach  the  truths  of  Christianity  in  such  a  manner 
as  will  awaken  and  convert  men,  than  he  could  in  many  years' 
close  study  in  connection  with  his  ordinary  ministry.  Hard- 
hearted and  impenitent  sinners  are  to  be  broken  down  into 
repentance.  This  may  require  heavier  metal  than  he  has  in  his 
collection  of  sermons.  Victory  or  defeat  are  two  tremendous 
words  to  a  minister  thus  circumstanced ;  they  have  cast  me  down 
upon  the  floor,  in  agony  and  tears,  crying,  "  Who  is  sufficient 
for  these  things  ? "  He  is  now  thrown  upon  his  own  resources, 
though  trusting  firmly  upon  the  power  of  the  mighty  God  of 
Jacob.  His  mind  is  now  tasked  to  the  utmost,  and  his  genius 
too.  "  Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention."  New  ideas  are 
created  in  his  mind ;  new  methods  of  illustrating  and  applying 
truth,  suitable  to  the  exigencies  of  the  case,  spring  up  before  his 
imagination.  He  cries  to  God  for  the  holy  unction  without 
which  all  his  efforts  will  be  weak  as  helpless  infancy,  and  all  the 
thunder  of  his  arguments  but  as  the  chirping  of  a  grasshopper. 
He  knows  it;  and,  with  a  certain  minister,  he  says,  "0  Lord 
God  of  hosts !  out  of  my  study  and  into  that  pulpit  I  will  not  go, 
unless  thou  engage  to  go  with  me."  He  prevails  :  "  My  presence 
shall  go  with  thee !  "  "  Enough,  Lord  !  "  He  enters  the  pulpit ; 
his  soul  is  a  flame,  "  and  longs  its  glorious  matter  to  declare." 
And  what  shall  I  say  ?  His  words  go  blazing  from  his  lips,  and 
fall  like  heaven's  own  fire  upon  the  hearts  and  consciences  of 
multitudes.  Lo !  the  power  of  God  descends  in  dreadful  grandeur 
upon  the  whole  assembly ;  sinners  are  struck  with  remorse  ;  new 
inroads  are  made  in  their  ranks,  and  many  are  converted  to  God. 
The  servant  of  God,  too,  has  obtained  a  new  sermon,  which,  by  the 
assistance  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  may  produce  similar  effects  upon 
other  conofreo-ations. 

*  The  number  of  Methodists  in  the  United  States  at  present  (1851)  is 
1,312,295,  of  which  the  M.  E.  Church  has  720,471  ;  — the  M.  E.  Church 
South,  501,501,— other  branches,  90,313.— Ed. 


MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS.  425 

There  is  now  a  revival ;  and  multitudes,  if  they  are  followed 
up  with  such  a  sharp  and  piercing  ministry,  will  never  rest,  until 
they  find  peace  through  faith  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  The 
services  are  continued  several  weeks  or  months,  now  that  it  is 
clearly  evident  to  all  behotders  that  the  grand  design  of  a 
preached  Gospel  is  being  accomplished.  Gospel  truth  is  now 
producing  its  distinct  and  positive  effects,  —  effects  which  should 
gladden  every  Christian's  soul,  and  which  cause  that  minister's 
heart  to  dance  for  joy. 

This,  my  dear  sir,  is  the  kind  of  preaching  the  world  needs  in 
the  nineteenth  century.  Sinners  are  to  be  awakened,  penitents 
brought  to  God,  and  new  converts  built  up  in  their  most  holy 
faith.  "And  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?"  He  who 
desires  to  save  souls  from  death  must  understand  how  to  adapt 
and  wield  the  truth  so  as  to  produce  an  immediate  effect.  It  is 
not  enough  that  it  is  practical ;  it  must  be  effectual.  It  will  not 
do  to  lay  down  the  truth,  and  leave  it  there,  either  to  succeed  or 
fail.  No !  After  truth  in  all  its  bearings,  truth  in  every  aspect 
and  in  all  its  lustre,  has  been  radiating  over  that  mass  of  mind, 
the  faithful  minister  must  come  down  from  the  pulpit,  invite 
those  who  are  seeking  pardon  and  holiness  to  come  forward,  in 
order  to  be  prayed  with  and  instructed.  Now  that  the  local 
preachers  and  leaders  have  plenty  of  work  to  do  with  those  who 
have  bowed  for  prayer,  let  him  go  from  pew  to  pew,  persuading 
others  to  go  and  do  likewise.  "  But,"  you  are  ready  to  say,  "  he 
will  shorten  his  days  by  such  tremendous  efforts."  Be  it  so. 
God  will  raise  up  others.  Better  accomplish  a  great  work  in  a 
short  time,  than  live  many  years  and  do  little,  perhaps,  for  his 
generation. 

No  man  can  estimate  how  much  he  may  do  for  God,  without 
injury  to  himself,  if  he  is  prudent,  and  fully  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Let  him  e'xercise  the  habit  of  self-control,  avoid 
screaming  and  unnecessary  wasting  of  his  strength  in  loud  sing- 
ing ;  let  him  wield  the  talent  of  the  church,  by  bringing  forward  in 
the  prayer-meetings  able  and  vigorous  leaders  and  local  preachers. 
These  men  of  God  may  be  qualified,  both  by  gifts  and  grace,  to 
pray  quite  as  well  as  he  can  himself;  they  have  good  voices 
36^ 


426  KKVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

physical  and  intellectual  strength,  and  a  good  understanding  in 
the  things  of  God.  But  they  want  one  to  lead  them  forth  to 
war  and  victory.  Let  him  do  this,  but  avoid  attempting  to  do 
everything  himself;  let  others  share  with  him  the  glorious  toil, 
and  his  health  may  be  as  good  at  the  close  of  such  a  campaign 
as  at  the  beginning. 

In  a  revival,  a  preacher  studies  mind,  —  mind  at  rest,  and 
mind  in  motion ;  human  nature  unawakened,  and  awakened ;  in 
its  sin-sickness,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  perfect  Gospel  cure. 
He  is  now  a  curate  indeed ;  and  he  learns  what  truths  are  most 
suitable  to  mind  in  all  these  cases ;  the  proper  truth  has  been 
administered,  and,  like  a  great  philosopher  experimenting  upon 
nature,  he  beholds  the  effects  with  joy,  and  by  the  results,  in 
the  experience  of  fifty  or  one  hundred  cases,  he  calculates  with 
great  certainty  the  effects  upon  thousands  more,  who  are  yet  to 
be  brought  under  its  searching  and  saving  power.  This  increases 
his  faith  and  confidence  in  the  truths  of  the  Gospel.  The  revival 
affords  him  the  same  privilege  as  is  enjoyed  by  a  physician. 
He  stands  by  his  patient,  administers  to  his  sin-sick  soul  the 
medicine  of  the  Gospel,  and  has  an  equal  opportunity  of  observ- 
ing its  effects.  Again  and  again  he  enters  the  pulpit,  with 
fresh  views  of  the  state  of  his  patients.  He  will  illustrate, 
compound,  enforce  or  soften  the  truth,  as  the  different  states  of 
the  people  require,  and  with  a  tenderness  of  heart,  manner,  and 
power,  surprising  even  to  himself.  He  is  no  longer  a  mere 
speculating,  theorizing  preacher.  New  gifts  have  descended 
upon  him  from  above ;  which  he  may  never  entirely  lose,  — 
nay,  may  increase  continually,  so  long  as  he  appropriates,  at 
least,  a  part  of  each  year  for  such  extraordinary  efforts.  In  the 
mean  time,  his  power  and  influence  with  the  people  of  God,  and, 
indeed,  with  the  entire  congregation,  advance  daily.  His  prayers, 
sermons,  and  general  character,  are  invested,  in  their  estima- 
tion, with  such  a  moral  grandeur  and  power  as  will  be  almost 
irresistible,  and  by  which  he  may  speak  the  most  unpalatable 
truth.  Thus,  by  means  of  the  honor  put  upon  him  by  the  Lord 
of  hosts,  if  his  eye  be  single,  with  the  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 


MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS.  427 

he  may  bear  down  all  opposition,  and  carry  everything  before 
him  in  the  conversion  of  sinners. 

During  the  progress  of  a  revival,  if  he  is  a  careful  observer 
of  human  nature,  he  may  accumulate  a  mass  of  revival  mate- 
rials;—  that  class  of  truth  which  is  illustrated  by  facts,  and 
which  will  be  most  suitable  and  effectual  in  bringing  about  a 
revival,  or  promoting  one  where  it  has  already  commenced ;  and 
by  which,  if  he  continue  to  walk  closely  with  God,  he  may 
arrive  at  such  a  point  in  his  pulpit  preparation^  that,  aided  by 
an  influence  from  heaven,  sinners  may  not  be  able  to  stand 
before  him  all  the  days  of  his  life.  Thus  he  may  become  the 
instrument  of  the  conversion  of  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands 
of  immortal  souls,  who  shall  be  the  crown  of  his  rejoicing  in 
the  day  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Every  minister  of  Jesus  should  aim  at  such  results.  How 
can  he  rest  satisfied  without  the  conversion  of  sinners,  when 
the  means  are  within  his  grasp  by  which  such  a  glorious  event 
may  be  effected  ?  Who  wants  to  "  fight  windmills,"  or  "  fight 
as  one  beating  the  air"  ?  Any  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  who  has 
been  called  of  God  to  the  icork  (and  if  he  have  not  been  so 
called,  better  that  he  were  earning  an. honest  livelihood  by 
breaking  stones  by  the  highway  side),  may  be  successful,  if  he 
will,  in  thus  winning  souls  to  Jesus  Christ. 

It  is  a  sad  event  in  the  history  of  any  church,  when  the  pas- 
tor says,  "  I  have  no  talent  for  this  kind  of  work."  And  pray, 
what  has  God  sent  the  poor  man  into  the  church  to  do  ?  What 
object  had  he  in  view  on  entering  the  ministry  ?  But  perhaps 
he  has  a  secret  desire  to  be  such  a  successful  instrument  in 
bringing  sinners  to  God.  It  may  be  that  he  is  coveting  ear- 
nestly the  best  gifts;  such  as  the  church  of  God  needs  in  the 
nineteenth  century ;  —  an  age  of  commercial  and  scientific 
enterprise,  of  general  and  universal  speculation,  and  excitement 
to  money-making,  such  as  the  world  has  not  seen,  I  believe, 
since  the  days  of  the  apostles.  The  church  wants  a  ministry 
of  strength  and  power,  —  men  having  one  desire  and  one  aim, — 
men  capable  of  bringing  the  claims  of  eternity  before  the  con- 
sciences of  their  hearers,  and  with  such  a  vividness  as  will 


428  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

neutralize  the  all-absorbing  interests  of  time ;  so  as  to  "  stem 
the  domineering  influence  of  things  seen,"  as  Dr.  Chalmers 
expresses  it,  "  and  to  invest  faith  with  a  practical  supremacy,  to 
give  its  objects  such  a  vivacity  of  influence  as  shall  overpower 
the  near  and  the  hourly  impressions  that  are  ever  emanating 
upon  man  from  a  seducing  world." 

Show  me  a  minister  who  is  panting  for  the  necessary  qualifi- 
cation for  turning  many  sinners  to  righteousness,  and  I  would 
say  to  him,  fast  and  pray,  and  weep  before  the  Lord,  till  that 
Spirit  whose  office  it  is  to  bestow  spiritual  gifts  upon  men, 
especially  to  those  who  are  coveting  earnestly  the  best  gifts, 
shall  descend  upon  your  soul  in  a  baptism  of  fire,  filling  the 
heart  with  that  perfect  love  which  casteth  out  all  fear.  A 
yearning  pity  for  lost  sinners  will  then  take  possession  of  his 
heart,  and  God  will  open  him  a  door  that  no  man  can  shut. 
Regardless  of  what  man  may  say,  or  do,  and  only  intent  upon 
one  thing,  —  the  conversion  of  sinners, — he  will  very  soon  see  a 
revival  that  will  strike  terror  to  the  hearts  of  devils  and  men, 
and  send  a  tide  of  joy  throughout  the  innumerable  legions  of 

heaven. 

''My  ta!ents,  gifts,  and  graces,  Lord, 
Into  thy  gracious  hands  receive, 
And  let  me  live  to  preach  thy  vyrord, 
And  let  me  to  thy  glory  live, 
My  every  sacred  moment  spend 
In  publishing  the  sinner's  Friend. 

"  I  would  the  precious  time  redeem, 
And  longer  live  for  this  alone  ; 
To  spend  and  to  be  spent  for  them 
Who  have  not  yet  my  Saviour  known, 
Fully  on  these  my  mission  prove, 
And  only  breathe  to  breathe  thy  love." 

There  have  been  few  ministers  of  the  Lord  Jesus  who  have 
been  really  called  of  God  to  preach,  but  who  have  unfortunately 
neglected  to  cultivate  the  ^^ revival  spirit"  who  have  not,  in 
some  way,  been  compelled  to  the  utterance  of  regret  on  their 
death-bed.  "  I  have,"  said  a  celebrated  Archbishop  of  the 
Church  of  England,  "passed  through  many  places   of  honor 


MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS.  429 

and  trust,  both  in  church  and  state ;  more  than  any  man  of  my 
order  in  England,  for  seventy  years.  But  were  I  assured  that 
by  my  preaching-  I  had  converted  one  soul  unto  God,  I  should 
herein  take  more  comfort  than  in  all  the  offices  that  have  ever 
been  bestowed  upon  me."  "  My  brother,"  said  another  to  an 
active  minister,  "  to  have  one  poor  sinner  to  own  thee  in  the 
day  of  judgment,  as  an  instrument  in  God's  hands  of  plucking 
him  as  a  brand  from  the  burning,  will  be  a  greater  comfort  to 
thy  glorified  spirit,  in  the  day  of  the  Lord,  than  if  tjiou  hadst 
been  the  greatest  orator  that  ever  engaged  the  attention  of  an 
audience." 

A  certain  minister,  during  his  last  hours,  was  greatly  dejected 
on  account  of  his  want  of  success  during  his  ministry,  which 
seemed  to  plant  thorns  in  his  dying  pillow.  Before  he  departed, 
however,  a  person  came  in  and  informed  him  that  two  persons 
had  voluntarily  made  themselves  known  as  having  been  con- 
verted to  God  by  his  labors.  His  countenance  immediately 
brightened,  and  gathering  up  his  feet,  he  said,  with  Simeon, 
"  Now,  Lord,  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace  according 
to  thy  word,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation."  Nor  is 
this  feeling  to  be  wondered  at,  if  we  consider  how  vividly  such 
an  one  must  realize  the  glorious  character  of  that  declaration 
of  the  prophet  Daniel :  "  And  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as 
the  brightness  of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to 
righteousness  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever." 

Is  he  not  the  wisest  minister,  then,  who  takes  upon  himself 
the  character  of  a  revivalist  in  early  life  ?  And  what  else  does 
the  term  imply,  than  to  be  a  soul-saver ;  or,  as  in  the  case  of 
Elijah,  a  conv^erter?  —  a  term  of  reproach  among  some,  we 
allow;  and  so  was  "a  Methodist"  at  the  beginning;  but  we 
know  the  benefits  of  Methodism  too  well  to  love  it  any  the  less 
on  that  account.  Observe ;  the  passage  I  have  quoted  does  not 
say,  They  that  are  learned  and  eloquent  preachers,  who  have 
drawn  immense  crowds  to  hear  them,  and  who  have  won  for 
themselves  an  honorable  standing  among  their  brethren,  and  a 
high  position  in  ecclesiastical  authority,  on  account  of  high  intel- 
lectual powers,  and  statesman-l>ke  talents,  shall  shine  as  the 


430  REVIVAL  MISCELLANIES. 

Stars  for  ever  and  ever.  No ;  but  "  they  that  turn  many  to  right- 
eousness." 

If  the  knowledge  of  having  been  instrumental  in  the  conver- 
sion of  two  souls  has  been  a  source  of  so  much  comfort  to  a 
dying  minister,  how  unspeakable  the  delight,  in  the  closing  hour 
of  one's  life,  to  know  of  scores,  hundreds,  thousands !  "  0," 
exclaimed  the  great  and  good  Dr.  Payson,  a  few  hours  before  he 
went  to  heaven,  "  O,  if  ministers  only  saw  the  inconceivable 
glory  that  is  before  them,  and  the  preciousness  of  Christ,  they 
would  not  be  able  to  refrain  from  going  about,  leaping  and  clap- 
ping their  hands  for  joy,  and  exclaiming,  *  I  'm  a  minister  of 
Christ !     I  'm  a  minister  of  Christ ! ' " 

It  rejoices  my  heart,  that  many  of  the  churches  of  Christen- 
dom are  awaking,  as  out  of  a  deep  sleep,  to  the  importance  of 
securing  to  themselves  a  soul-saving  ministry.  And,  it  would 
appear,  they  are  beginning  at  the  right  point ;  not  with  a  violent 
attempt  to  remodel  those  ministers  whose  habits,  with  regard  to 
preaching,  have  been  long  formed,  and  whose  sermons  have 
become  so  stereotyped  in  their  memory  as  to  leave  but  little 
room  for  any  new  ideas  or  plans  for  the  salvation  of  sinners, 
but  in  the  proper  training  of  their  student  candidates  for  the 
ministry.  I  was  delighted,  the  other  day,  with  the  following, 
from  a  very  able  pen : 

"  Circumstances  are  now  beginning  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
churches  to  their  students.  It  is  well.  For  how  can  any  church 
expect  a  race  of  godly  ministers  to  arise  out  of  students  whom 
she  had  utterly  neglected,  over  whom  she  had  never  watched 
nor  prayed  ?  .  .  .  .  The  demand  for  laborers  has,  on  the 
one  hand,  called  us  to  consider  how  these  may  be  obtained,  and, 
on  the  other,  led  us  to  inquire  anew  into  the  whole  subject  of 
their  previous  training  for  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel,  and  the 
feeding  of  the  church  of  God,  which  he  hath  purchased  with  his 
own  blood.  The  first  question,  no  doubt,  was.  How  shall  we  get 
ministers  ?  But  this,  after  all,  is  not  the  main  one.  With  any 
true  church  of  Christ,  the  main  question  is  not,  How  are  we  to 
get  men,  but  how  are  we  to  get  living  men  ?  How  are  we  to 
secure  a  race  of  living  minist^s,  pastors  after  God's  own  heart, 


MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS.  431 

who  will  warn  the  wicked,  and  watch  over  the  blood-bought 
heritage  ? 

"  It  is  not  the  getting  of  men  that  is  the  question  now.  Nor 
is  it,  '  How  may  we  best  secure  that  they  shall  be  learned,  able, 
eloquent,  polished,  educated  men?'  No;  these  may  be  very 
needful  points  ;  but  they  are  of  the  second  grade.  They  are  not 
the  essentials  ;  they  are  not  indispensable.  They  ought  not  to 
be  overlooked  by  any  church,  but  care  ought  to  be  taken  that 
they  shall  only  occupy  the  second,  and  not  the  first  place,  in  the 
training  of  our  youth.  They  have  too  long  been  treated  as  para- 
mount ;  .  .  .  .  they  have  too  long  been  held  in  undue  esti- 
mation by  the  people  of  God.  Hence  the  wisdom  of  man's  words 
has  often  made  the  cross  of  Christ  of  none  effect.  Hence  the 
taste  and  passion  for  eloquence,  pulpit  eloquence,  have  vitiated 
the  simplicity  of  our  taste,  and  destroyed  the  relish  for  ungar- 
nished  truth,  and  mightily  contributed  to  hinder  the  simple  and 
natural  preaching  of  the  everlasting  Gospel.     .     .     . 

"  We  do  rejoice  that  the  question  regarding  ministerial  char- 
acter and  qualification  has  at  length  found  its  way  into  a  higher 
region,  and  is  to  be  treated  on  higher  principles,  and  as  embrac- 
ing more  spiritual  elements  than  it  has  hitherto  done  among  too 
many  even  of  the  reformed  churches  of  Christendom.  We 
rejoice  that  our  circumstances  have  at  length  brought  us  to  this. 
It  is  high  time  that  it  should  be  so.  We  have  long  enough 
occupied  worldly  and  secular  ground  in  this  matter,  and  weighed 
ministers  in  the  balances  of  earthly  literature,  or  science,  or  elo- 
quence. We  have  long  enough  treated  our  students  as  mere 
aspirants  to  literary  fame,  instead  of  being  those  to  whom  we 
were  to  commit  the  weightiest  charge,  and  the  most  solemn 
responsibility,  which  can  devolve  upon  either  man  or  angel. 
When  the  question  is  put,  '  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ? ' 
it  is  high  time  to  answer  it  as  the  Lord  himself  teaches  us,  '  My 
grace  is  sufficient.'  We  have  often,  in  time  past,  said  that  learn- 
ing, and  talent,  and  eloquence,  were  enough  to  make  a  man  suf- 
ficient. Right  glad  are  we  that  this  time  is  gone  by,  and  that  a 
different  standard  and  different  balances  are  coming  into  use,  — 
the  standard  of  the  apostles,  the  balances  of  the  sanctuary.    Right 


432  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

glad  are  we  that  we  have  more  fully  been  led  to  see  that  noth- 
ing but  living  men,  men  of  God,  men  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
of  faith,  can  be  ministers  in  the  church  of  Christ.  Our  circum- 
stances, we  say,  have  forced  this  point  upon  our  notice,  and  com- 
pelled us  more  fully  and  solemnly  to  ponder  the  question.  How 
may  we  obtain  a  supply  of  faithful  pastors  ?  Perhaps  to  some 
it  may  seem  unwise  to  take  up  this  point  too  hastily,  or  act  upon 
it  too  strictly.  It  may  seem  that  our  circumstances  call  on  us 
to  widen  the  door,  instead,  of  contracting  it,  when  there  is  such 
a  demand  for  laborers,  and  such  an  abundant  harvest  whitening 
over  the  breadth  of  the  land.  But  it  must  be  obvious,  that,  if 
We  are  to  gain  ground,  or  maintain  our  footing,  merely  by  reason 
of  the  popularity,  or  talent,  or  eloquence  of  our  preachers,  the 
hold  we  shall  have  of  the  people  will  not  only  be  of  a  worldly 
and  unspiritual  kind,  but  of  the  most  precarious  nature.  No, 
eloquence  and  learning  will  not  avail  us.  They  cannot  lay  the 
foundation  deep  enough.  They  may  attract  more,  win  more, 
bring  about  a  larger  amount  of  apparent  adherence  to  our  cause. 
But  that  is  all.  Our  prosperity  must  have  something  far  deeper 
and  broader  for  its  base.  It  must  be  laid  in  the  conversion  of 
souls.  Any  foundation  less  deep  than  this  must  be  too  shallow, 
too  superficial,  too  crumbling,  to  withstand  the  coming  flood,  the 
first  waves  of  which  are  already  beginning  to  ripple  round  our 
embankments. 

"It  is  to  this  that  our  circumstances  are  leading  us.  And  we 
trust  that  no  earthly,  short-sighted,  unscriptural  desire  of  merely 
swelling  our  numbers,  will  draw  us  away  from  this.  It  is  God's 
finger  that  is  pointing  us  to  this,  and  too  intelligibly  to  be  mis- 
taken. What  have  the  revivals  of  the  last  five  years  been  doing 
for  us  ?  Have  they  not  been  laying  a  deep  foundation  for  the 
church  in  the  time  of  trouble  ?  And  have  they  not  been  teach- 
ing us  that  our  strength  and  security  must  lie  in  the  number  of 
souls  converted  to  Christ,  and  not  merely  in  the  number  of 
adherents  to  our  cause  ?  Is  not  that  their  meaning  ?  We  fear 
thai  they  have  been  too  little  regarded  in  this  light.  We  have 
looked  on  and  wondered.  We  have  been  interested,  and  per- 
haps have  rejoiced  in  the  tidings  concerning  them.     But  this 


MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS.  433 

was  all.  We  overlooked  the  mighty  lesson  which  God  was 
seeking  to  teach  us  by  such  living  and  legible  examples.  It  was 
not  merely  to  gather  in  a  people  for  himself  that  God  has  been 
doing  such  great  things  for  us.  It  was  not  merely  to  prepare  a 
remnant  for  the  days  of  trial  into  which  the  church  was  passing, 
that  there  might  be  some,  at  least,  who  would  not  turn  back  in 
the  day  of  battle,  but  would  be  ready  to  go,  for  Christ's  sake,  to 
prison  and  to  death.  It  was  not  merely  to  train  and  discipline 
a  noble  band  of  warriors  for  the  church's  welfare,  —  men  to  pray, 
as  well  as  to  contend  for  victory.  It  was  also  to  show  us  of 
what  men  he  wished  his  church  to  be  composed ;  what  ministers 
he  desired  to  see  in  our  churches ;  and  what  preachers  of  the 
Gospel  it  was  that  he  would  bless.  Have  these  revivals  not 
taught  us  these  things  ?  And  shall  we  not  learn  from  them  that 
our  stability  and  prosperity  must  ever  lie  in  the  number  of  sin- 
ners converted,  of  living  saints  within  the  walls  of  Zion  ?  Shall 
we  not  learn  from  them  that  it  is  the  ministry  of  living,  praying 
ministers  that  he  blesses  ?  Shall  we  not  learn  that  it  is  not  elo- 
quence, or  ability,  or  human  wisdom,  that  are  mighty  in  the 
pulling  down  of  Satan's  strongholds,  but  prayer  and  simplicity, 
devotedness  and  perseverance,  the  naked  word  of  God,  the  simple 
preaching  of  the  free  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God?  It  is  thus 
that  the  word  runs  and  is  glorified.  It  is  thus  that  souls  are 
converted.  It  is  thus  that  the  ministry  is  honored  and  blessed. 
It  is  thus  that  the  church  is  built  up,  even  in  stirring  times.  Has 
not  God  been  teaching  us  these  things?  And  shall  we,  in 
maturing  our  plans,  and  constructing  our  different  schemes,  over- 
look so  distinct  a  leading  of  God,  or  turn  away  with  indifference 
from  a  lesson  so  important,  so  essential  ? 

"  But  here,  perhaps,  a  glance  at  the  past  may  not  be  unprofit- 
able, nor  out  of  place.  We  read  the  annals  of  the  seventeenth 
and  eighteenth  centuries,  and  gaze  with  eager  joy  upon  the 
career  of  glorious  success  afforded  to  those  instruments  which 
God  then  raised  up  as  his  chosen  witnesses.  Whence,  then, 
arose  the  success  of  these  apostolic  men,  and  wherein  did  their 
great  strength  lie  ?  It  is  with  the  spirit  of  the  men,  more  than 
of  their  works,  that  we  are  to  be  imbued,  if  we  are  emulous  of 
37 


434  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

a  ministry  as  powerful,  as  victorious,  as  theirs.  It  is  not  the  cold 
marble  of  the  statue  that  we  are  to  make  our  model,  however 
perfect  in  its  symmetry  and  polish ;  it  is  the  breathing  form  of 
man,  the  living  person.  The  marble  is  but  the  cold  outline,  the 
material  resemblance,  incapable  of  reproducing  itself,  or  im- 
printing its  lineaments  on  surrounding  objects,  or  transfusing 
any  secret  qualities  and  virtues  into  the  most  ravished  beholder. 

"  If  this  be  true  of  the  servants,  much  more  is  it  of  the  Mas- 
ter. If  the  study  of  their  characters  be  so  profitable,  much  more 
must  be  the  contemplation  of  his.  If  personal  contact  with  them 
be  so  fitted  to  mould  us  into  their  likeness,  how  much  more 
must  personal  contact  and  communion  with  him  be  fitted  to 
fashion  us  anew  after  his  resemblance  ?  And  being  thus  trans- 
formed into  the  Master's  likeness,  how  certain  to  be  blest  in  our 
labors,  to  be  successful  in  our  ministry ! 

"  In  these  troublous  times,  and  with  the  prospect  of  confusion 
and  harassment  before  us,  it  is  hard  to  maintain  this  intercourse. 
Nay,  it  seems  impossible.  Time  and  solitude  are  a-wanting. 
Nevertheless  it  must  be  so.  In  the  case  of  the  apostles  it  was 
so,  in  spite  of  all  their  endless  tribulations  and  tossings.  In  the 
case  of  our  own  fathers  it  was  so,  in  spite  of  their  multiplied 
labors  and  hardships.  It  must  be  so  with  us ;  and,  doubtless,  it 
will  be  so.  The  tumult  of  the  storm  will  make  the  solitude  of 
the  closet  doubly  welcome.  Man's  wrath  and  enmity  will  ren- 
der doubly  precious  the  love  and  friendship  of  the  Saviour. 
Then  there  shall  be  in  the  world  a  ministry  of  power,  and  times 
of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  —  a  precious  earnest 
of  THE  TIMES  OF  KEFRESHiNG  at  his  appearing  and  his  king- 
dom." 

I  can  say,  as  did  the  Rev.  John  Brown,  on  his  death-bed,  to  his 
sons  in  the  ministry :  "  Whenever  the  Lord  has  led  me  out  to  be 
most  diligent  in  this  way,  he  has  poured  most  comfort  into  my 
heart,  and  given  me  my  reward  in  my  bosom."  "  O  labor,  labor  to 
win  souls  to  Christ,"  was  his  language  in  the  same  conversation ; 
adding  the  words  of  his  Lord :  "  Work  while  it  is  day,  for  the 
night  Cometh  when  no  man  can  work."  This  is  your  "  harvest- 
time,"  my  brother.    The  fields  around  you  are  "  white  already ;" 


MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS.  435 

put  in  the  sickle  and  reap  fruit  unto  life  eternal.  Let  not  "  an 
oppressive  sense  "  of  the  "  inferiority  "  of  your  talents  discour- 
age you.  Have  you  never  observed  the  variety  of  talent  evident 
among  the  reapers  in  the  harvest-field  ?  Some  there  are  who 
can  impart  to  their  sickles  a  noble  sweep,  and  the  grain  is 
grasped  and  levelled  with  a  sort  of  commanding  and  solemn 
majesty.  But  there  are  others  who,  perhaps,  having  neither 
mental  nor  physical  ability  for  such  a  grasp,  "  make  up  for  it " 
by  the  quickness  of  their  motions.  Their  nimble  reaping-hooks 
make  two  or  three  strokes  for  one  of  their  competitors,  and  thus 
they  keep  pace  with,  or  "go  a-head"  of,  their  more  talented 
companions.  I  know  an  individual  who  is  as  bold  and  active 
for  God  as  if  conscious  he  possessed  the  first  talents  of  the 
land ;  yet  none  can  be  more  sensible  of  the  mediocrity  of  his 
abilities,  when  compared  with  other  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ. 
More  than  once  I  have  heard  him  modestly  apologize  for  the 
frequency  of  his  attempts  to  do  good,  by  adverting  to  the  advice 
given  by  a  Spartan  mother  to  her  son,  who  was  going  forth  with 
the  army  to  the  wars.  "  Mother,"  said  the  lad,  "  my  sword  is 
too  short."  The  reply  of  the  mother  was,  ^^Add  a  step  to  it,  my 
boy."  A  sentiment  which  one  would  expect  from  a  Spartan 
mother,  but  it  required  a  Spartan  boy  to  hear  it ;  one  who  had 
been  taught  to  carry  out  the  advice,  or  never  return  alive.  Let 
the  conviction,  then,  of  the  defectiveness  of  your  talent  impel 
you  forward  to  increased  diligence  in  your  holy  calling.  "  Add 
a  step,"  my  brother ;  nay,  if  possible,  take  five  steps  for  one 
taken  by  your  superiors, — five  sermons  for  their  one, — and  you 
may  do  more  for  God,  and  have  a  brighter  crown,  than  the  man 
who  has  ten  talents. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  you  were,  at  the  time  you  mention, 
on  the  verge  of  a  glorious  revival ;  nor  am  I  much  surprised,  at 
what  you  justly  consider  a  "  mortifying  failure."  If  we  will  not 
do  God's  work  in  his  time,  but  perform  our  own  work  first,  it  is 
presumption  to  expect  his  blessing,  either  on  his  or  our  own 
work.  When  the  Israelites  disbelieved  the  report  of  the  spies, 
despised  the  promise  of  God,  and  murmured  against  Moses  and 
Aaron,  they  were  ordered  back  again  into  the  wilderness.     A 


436  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

plague  also  went  out  from  the  Lord,  and  slew  the  spies  who 
had  brought  up  an  evil  report  upon  the  land  of  promise.  The 
children  of  Israel,  upon  beholding  the  displeasure  of  God, 
"  mourned  greatly,"  and  early  in  the  morning  they  were  upon 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  saying,  "  Lo !  we  be  here,  and  will  go 
up  unto  the  place  which  the  Lord  hath  promised ;  for  we  have 
sinned."  Moses  told  them  not  to  go,  "  For  the  Lord  is  not 
among  you ;  —  it  shall  not  prosper.  Ye  are  turned  away  from 
the  Lord ;  therefore,  the  Lord  will  not  be  with  you."  And  so 
it  was ;  they  gave  battle,  but  God  was  not  in  their  camp,  and 
many  of  them  were  slaughtered  by  the  hands  of  the  Amalek- 
ites  and  Canaanites.  They  attended  to  the  suggestions  of  their 
carnal  hearts,  and  would  not  obey  in  the  accepted  time ;  but, 
repenting  of  their  doings,  they  determined  to  meet  their  ene- 
mies upon  the  strength  of  commands  and  promises  which  had 
been  annulled  and  forfeited.  Their  time,  you  have  seen,  was 
not  God's  time ;  therefore  they  were  thrown  into  confusion,  and 
discomfited  by  the  enemies  of  the  Lojd  and  of  Israel.  There 
is  a  lesson  here,  but  I  must  leave  it  with  yourself  to  make  the 
application,  —  only,  I  may  add  the  following  remarks  of  the 
judicious  Bates  :  "  There  are  two  branches  of  folly  visible  in 
the  world ;  men  will  not  do  when  they  can,  and  afterwards 
cannot  when  they  would." 

When  the  breeze  is  brisk  and  fair,  will  the  captain  who  has 
long  been  waiting  for  such  a  propitious  event  permit  his  crew 
to  while  away  their  time  on  deck,  and  himself  go  and  lounge 
in  the  cabin  among  his  books  and  papers  ?  If  so,  and  the  wind 
should  change,  so  as  to  detain  him  in  port  for  weeks  to  come, 
there  would  be  few  to  pity  him.  But,  no ;  master  and  men  are 
on  the  alert, — the  anchor  is  weighed, — the  sails  are  unfurled, — 

They  hearty  wave 


Their  last  adieu,  and,  loosening  every  sheet, 
Resign  the  spreading  vessel  to  the  wind  !  " 

But  it  often  happens  that  the  children  of  this  world  are  wiser 
in  their  generation  than  the  children  of  light. 

We  are  the  servants  of  God,  and  we  must  not  think  he  will 


MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS.  437 

excuse  us  from  doing  his  work,  when  the  evidences  of  a  revival 
having-  commenced  are  convincing,  because  we  have  much  of 
our  own  to  attend  to.  This  remark  will  apply  to  local  preachers 
and  class  leaders,  as  well  as  to  ministers, —  I  mean,  as  it  regards 
their  cooperation  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  when  he  comes  down  to 
revive  his  work.  Suppose  that  you  had  a  servant,  and  he  should 
neglect  your  business,  and,  when  pressed  for  his  reasons,  should 
excuse  himself  on  account  of  having  so  much  of  his  own  to 
manage;  —  what  would  you  do?  "I  would  discharge  him  at 
once ! "     Doubtless  you  would ;    and  who  could  blame  you  ? 

Has  not  something  like  this  happened  to  not  a  few  in 

since  the  occurrence  ?  Have  not  some  backslidden  both  from 
work  and  wages,  while  others  have  been  singularly  laid  aside  ? 
Are  there  not  others,  who  might  do  good,  but  who  are  standing 
idle  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  having  apparently  neither  the  will 
nor  power  to  work ;  while  a  few  are  doing  something,  "  feebly," 
but  the  "fruits  are  hidden"?     Now,  the  disapprobation  of  the 

Lord  is  not  always  expressed  thus,  as  in ;  but  where  the 

call  of  God  to  enter  into  a  revival  effort  has  been  plain,  and 
neglected  through  love  of  money,  pleasure,  or  idleness,  there  is, 
usually,  a  barrenness  among  the  people,  and  a  humiliating  want 
of  success  in  the  "  ordinary  means.''^ 

You  inquire,  "  But  are  there  not  frequent  intervals  of  a  pain- 
ful character,  between  one  revival  and  another,  in  some  of  your 
American  societies  ? "  Yes.  "  If  so,  what  are  the  usual  causes  ? " 
They  are  various ;  but  I  have  known  instances,  where  we  could 
assign  no  other  reason  than  the  unbelief  and  impenitency  of 
sinners.  In  most,  however,  the  causes  were  very  evident  to  all 
who  had  the  work  of  God  at  heart.  Love  of  ease,  money, 
pleasure,  honor,  among  professors  of  religion,  rather  than  an 
ardent  and  laborious  desire  for  the  conversion  of  perishing  sin- 
ners. A  self-indulgent  and  indolent  spirit ;  a  decrease  or  loss 
of  holiness,  humility,  and  dependence  upon  God,  on  the  part  of 
the  official  members  of  the  church,  —  local  preachers,  class- 
leaders,  and  prayer-leaders.  And  last,  though  not  least,  the 
absence  of  the  revival  spirit  and  zeal  from  the  hearts  of  the 
ministers,  who,  in  some  instances,  have  preferred  ease  and  books 
37# 


438  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

to  soul-saving ;  —  the  splendor  of  pulpit  eloquence,  which  drew 
the  admiration  of  the  wicked,  rather  than  the  plain,  pointed  ser- 
mon, and  the  direct  aim  at  the  consciences  of  the  ungodly ;  — 
the  neglect  of  visiting  from  house  to  house,  and  vigorous  efforts 
in  the  prayer-meeting,  after  preaching,  for  the  conversion  of 
penitents  ; — all  of  which  are  absolutely  necessary  to  the  com- 
mencement and  continuation  of  a  revival. 

Some  societies  owe  such  painful  pauses  to  laxity  of  disci- 
pline,—  allowing  backsliders  and  hypocrites  to  remain  in  church 
fellowship, —  winking  at  the  neglect  of  class-meetings,  and 
other  means  of  grace.  "  The  wealthy  are  necessary  to  us ;  — 
numbers  are  creditable  to  us.  If  we  expel  Mr.  =^  =^  ^ ,  and 
Mrs.  =^  =^  ^  ,  and  =^  =^  =^  ,  they  will  leave  our  congregation, 
and  attend  the  preaching  of  a  minister  of  another  denomina- 
tion." Thus  the  Spirit  of  God  is  grieved,  and  no  revival  is 
obtained ;  while  other  branches  of  the  same  church  are  favored 
again  and  again  with  gracious  outpourings  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"  In  case  of  the  long  absence  of  a  revival,  when  the  fault  has 
not  been  in  the  church,  or  when  she  has  repented,  and  is  every- 
thing God  would  have  her  be,  in  order  to  a  revival,  what  do 
you  suppose  is  the  prevalent  state  of  feeling  among  the  mem- 
bers ? "  I  cannot  give  you  a  better  answer  than  the  following 
extract  from  a  letter,  written  by  one  of  our  mhiisters,  for  the 
revival  department  of  the  New  York  Christian  Advocate  and 
Journal,  previous  to  my  leaving  America  for  Europe  :  "  We  are 
obediently  waiting,  anxiously  looking,  fervently  praying,  confi- 
dently, hoping,  and  every  day  living,  for  a  revival  of  the  work 
of  God  in  our  charge."  Nor  is  it  likely  they  remained  long  in 
such  a  state  of  preparation,  without  an  ingathering  of  converted 
souls  to  their  ranks. 

Take  the  following  account  of  another  revival :  "  The  friends 
of  the  Eedeemer  will  everywhere  rejoice,  that  Lexii^gton  has 
been  visited  by  the  Lord  in  mercy,  —  so  lately  the  scene  of 
judgment,  sickness,  death.  Still,  of  thousands,  it  may  be  welJ 
said :  — 

'  Mercies  and  judgments  have  alike  been  slighted.' 


MINISTERIAL   CONFLICTS.  439 

"  Commencement.  Christians  began  to  mourn  over  their  cold- 
ness, and  the  lost  condition  of  others.  They  wept  together, 
'  confessed  their  sins  one  to  another,'  and  resolved  to  '  work  for 
God.' 

*'  Mea?is  used.  Those  who  loved  Christ  prayed  all  the  time ; 
labored  all  the  time ;  and  all  the  time  felt  that,  unless  the  Spirit 
were  poured  out  upon  saint  and  sinner,  not  one  soul  would  be 
converted. 

"  They  offered  constant,  special,  earnest,  agonizing,  unit- 
ed prayer.  While  they  prayed,  they  labored,  conversed  with 
their  friends,  persuaded  them  to  come  to  the  house  of  God,  and 
in  several  instances  prayed  with  them  hour  after  hour,  until 
they  gave  themselves  to  the  Saviour.  Frequently  they  prayed 
till  midnight; — and,  after  all,  they  sung  and  prayed,  and  felt, 
'  Lord,  revive  us  !  —  all  our  help  must  come  from  thee.'' 

^^  Preaching.     In  doctrine,  plain ;  in  illustration,  powerful. 

"  Arguments.  The  shortness  of  time ;  the  certainty  of  death ; 
the  danger  of  delay;  and,  above  all,  the  goodness  of  God,  and 
the  love  of  the  Saviour. 

''Results.  God  has  been  glorified,  the  church  enlarged,  and 
dying  sinners  persuaded  to  set  out  for  heaven.  To  the  two 
Presbyterian  churches  in  Lexington,  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  have  been  added.  To  the  Methodist  church,  about  one 
hundred  and  thirty  have  been  added. 

"  Prospects.  Everything  around  says  to  the  Christian,  *  Work 
on ! '  —  and  the  Christian  sings, 

'  Fight  on,  my  soul !  till  death 
Shall  bring  thee  to  thy  God.' 

"  Can  these  prospects  be  blighted  ?  Yes.  How  ?  If  Chris- 
tians '  come  down  from  the  work,'  by  ceasing  to  pray,  ceasing  to 
labor,  ceasing  to  feel  for  perishing  sinners ;  ceasing  to  hold  up 
their  ministers'  hands  ;  finding  fault  with  preachers ;  harboring 
unkind  feelings ;  talking  about  one  another.  If  these  things  be 
done,  the  Spirit  will  be  grieved,  the  work  will  decline,  and  those 
who  were  just  on  the  verge  of  heaven,  —  almost  persuaded  to  be 
Christians,  —  will  go  do\^Ti  to  death ;  —  and,  of  some  who  pro- 


440  REVIVAL    MISCELLANIES. 

fessed  to  love  the  Saviour,  it  may  be  said,  at  the  last  day,  '  Ye 
went  not  in  yourselves,  neither  suffered  them  who  were  enter- 
ing to  go  in;  depart  from  me,  unfaithful  servants.'  That  we 
may  not  thus  act,  we  earnestly  request  every  friend  of  Jesus 
Christ  who  reads  this  to  pray  for  Lexington." 

I  have  read  of  a  country,  situated  near  the  Pole,  where  the 
night  endures  many  months  together.  When  the  inhabitants 
expect  the  sun,  they  ascend  a.  very  high  mountain,  and  from  its 
top  wait  his  appearing,  striving  who  shall  first  see  the  orb  of 
day.  No  sooner  do  they  see  him  ascend  the  horizon,  than  they 
embrace  each  other,  exclaiming,  Ecce,  sol  apparet !  "  Behold, 
the  sun  appeareth !  "  Show  me  a  church  standing  thus  together 
upon  the  mountain-top  of  faith  and  holiness,  waiting  for  and 
expecting  a  revival  every  hour,  and  laboring  for  it,  like  the  above 
churches  in  Lexington,  and  I  will  dare  to  say  they  shall  soon 
cry,  Ecce,  sol  apparet!  Behold  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 
appears,  with  healing  on  his  wings  ! 

To  the  other  points  I  can  only  refer  briefly.  It  certainly  is 
difficult  to  account  for  the  movements  of  some  men,  —  in  many 
respects  good  men,  —  unless  we  attribute  their  conduct  to  strong 
temptation.  I  should  think  the  influence  from  heaven  was  so 
powerful,  and  the  scenes  so  remarkable  and  striking,  at  the  time  in 
question,  that  any  mind,  unless  fearfully  warped  by  some  bad  and 
powerful  prejudices,  would  have  been  compelled  to  acknowledge 
"  the  finger  of  God." 

There  was  a  revival  going  on  in  a  certain  city.  Much  was 
said  for  and  against  it.  The  agitation  spread  far  and  wide.  A 
clergyman  of  the  Established  Church  came  to  hear  and  see  for 
himself.  He  spent  several  hours  as  a  serious  spectator,  and 
before  departing,  candidly  remarked,  "  This  is  the  work  of  God ; 
I  see  and  very  plainly  feel  it  is.  There  must  be  something  of 
this  in  every  person,  in  passing  from  death  to  life,  either  in 
public  or  in  private."  It  depends  a  great  deal,  in  many  instances, 
whether  the  revival  has  begun,  and  is  carried  forward,  under 
some  men's  ministry,  as  to  whether  they  will  unite  with  it,  or 
countenance  the  movement.  If  they  are  not  acknowledged  the 
first  movers  and  main-springs  in  the  revival,  they  will  have 


MINISTERIAL    CONFLICTS.  441 

nothing  to  do  with  it.  Thank  God,  I  charitably  hope  such  cases 
are  not  numerous.  I  have  met  with  but  few  such,  in  my  revival 
efforts;  —  I  mean  among  the  ministry; — and  even  in  other 
denominations,  I  have  met  with  many  honorable  exceptions. 
How  refreshing  is  the  following  instance !  During  a  great 
revival  of  religion  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  many  years  ago,  in 
the  early  days  of  Methodism,  a  prelate  of  the  Established  Church 
said  to  one  of  the  vigorous  instruments  of  the  revival,  "  It  would 
break  my  heart  if  that  successful  ministry  in  the  north  were 
-nterrupted  and  marred.  They  think  to  cause  me  to  stretch  out 
my  hand  against  you,  but  all  the  world  shall  never  move  me  to 
do  so."  These  present  noble  exceptions  to  a  habit  that  is  too 
prevalent  among  a  class  of  men  who  should  be  the  last  to  oppose 
a  work  of  God.  As  to  the  case  in  hand,  I  cannot  determine  ; 
God  is  judge ;  and  he  standeth  at  the  door.  If  it  be  as  some 
suppose,  it  is  a  hateful  disposition.  '■'■  Avlus  Gelliiis  used  to 
wonder,"  says  a  writer, "  how  two  such  elegant  and  magnanimous 
philosophers  as  Plato  and  Xenophon  could  ever  descend  to  the 
meanness  of  depreciating  and  envying  each  other's  talents  and 
success.  What  would  he  have  said,  had  he  been  witness  to  the 
low  competitions,  the  dirty  jealousies,  the  narrow  self-seekings, 
and  the  envious  treachery,  visible  in  the  spirit  and  conduct  of 
some  who  pass  for  Christian  ministers  ?  "  Apply  as  you  may 
think  proper. 

Let  none  of  these  things  move  thee,  my  brother.  Be  courage- 
ous, and  "  play  the  man."  A  revival  conflict  shows  the  living 
minister.  "  A  dead  fish,"  said  a  good  man,  "  will  swim  with  the 
stream ;  but  a  live  one,  if  it  chooses,  can  swim  against  it."  Ay ! 
it  can  leap  against  and  surmount  a  cataract !  —  only  let  your 
eye  be  single.  Beware  of  imitating  the  ancient  "would-be 
orator,"  who  extolled  eloquence  to  the  skies,  that  he  might  be 
lifted  up  thither  with  her,  expecting  to  be  thought  eloquent  by 
extolling  eloquence.  Be  what  you  seem.  Enter  not  into 
revivals  merely  that  certain  parties  may  consider  you  a  reviv- 
alist ;  but  in  deed  and  in  truth,  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
good  of  souls  that  he  has  redeemed  with  his  own  blood.  Reviv- 
alists are  now  popular  in  England;   and  preachers  who  have 


442  REVIVAL   MISCELLANIES. 

not  that  character  are  at  a  significant  discount.  I  believe  this 
feeling  will  increase  more  and  more.  May  God  grant  it !  But 
let  not  us,  in  the  mean  time,  desire  this  kind  of  heavenly  sun- 
shine, merely  that  we  may  be  seen  as  motes  floating  in  its  lustre. 
Make  full  proof  of  your  ministry,  and  I  care  not  whether  your 
principles  compel  you,  or  you  drive  your  principles,  if  so  be  they 
are  pushed  to  the  uttermost  in  the  conversion  of  sinners.  Your 
difficulties  are  great ;  but  I  say  again,  —  Be  of  good  courage ; 
falter  not ;  aim  at  the  hearts  of  sinners,  and  "  turn  the  battle  to 
the  gate."  Remember  the  advice  of  the  honest  heathen :  Noli 
virtute  relicta  i7ividiam  pacare.  "  Let  us  not  leave  off  doing 
what  is  fit,  to  appease  the  envy  of  such  as  would  have  no  such 
thing  done."  I  remember  a  position  in  which  I  was  placed, 
seven  or  eight  years  ago,  when  I  was  advised  to  shut  the  chapel 
doors,  and  make  no  special  efforts  for  a  revival,  while  a  certain- 
great  man  was  in  town ;  and  this  was  the  argument :  "  You  may 
expect  to  preach  to  empty  pews."  There  were  other  servants  of 
God,  however,  —  a  good  man  and  his  wife, — who  gave  me  a  con- 
trary advice ;  I.  took  it,  and  God  gave  me  the  people.  I  was 
reading,  the  other  day,  of  one  Antigonus,  who  was  on  the  point  of 
engaging  in  a  sea-fight  with  Ptolemy's  armada,  when  the  pilot 
cried  out,  "  How  many  are  they  more  than  we  ! "  The  courage- 
ous king  replied,  "  It  is  true,  if  you  count  their  numbers ;  but  for 
how  many  do  you  value  me  ? "  You  have  God  on  your  side  ; 
with  him  you  are  safe,  though  all  hell  and  the  world  were  leagued 
against  you. 


I  CHOICE  AND  POPULAR  GIFT  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PERSONS. 

BY   REV.   DANIEL  WISE. 
I. 

THE  YOUNG  MAN'S  COUNSELLOR;  or,  SKETCHES  AND  ILLUSTRA- 
TIONS OF  THE  DUTIES  AND  DANGERS  OF  YOUNG  MEN.  Sixth  Edition. 
62  cts.    Gilt,  87. 

NOTICES. 

Among  the  multitude  of  books  Bi)ecially  adapted  to  young  men,  we  know  none  which 
combines  more  good  qualities  than  the  "  Yocng  Man's  Counsellor."  Mr.  Wise's  style 
is  graphic  and  agreeable  ;  and  his  various  reading  and  observation  furnish  him  with 
abundant  illustration.  — Methodist  Quarterly  Review. 

This  is  a  superior  book.  — Puritan  Recorder. 

One  of  the  most  readable,  sprightly,  and  attractive  of  books  for  young  men.  — Daily 
Evening  Traveller. 

We  know  not  of  any  similar  work  which  is  more  happily  adapted  for  the  object  for 
which  it  is  designed.  — Boston  Mercantile  Journal. 

An  entertaining  and  instructive  book.  —  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal. 

A  handsome,  well-written  book.  —  S.  S.  Advocate. 

II. 

THE  YOUNG  LADY'S  COUNSELLOR;  or,  OUTLINES  AND  ILLUSTRA- 
TIONS OF  THE  SPHERE,  THE  DIJTIES,  AND  THE  DANGERS,  OF  YOUNG 
WOMEN.    Fourth  Thousand.    62  cts.    Gilt,  87. 

NOTICES. 

This  book  contains  eleven  chapters,  bearing  the  following  titles,  namely :  1.  "  The 
Mistake  of  a  Lifetime."  2.  "  The  Fountain  of  Life  Unsealed."  3.  "  Influence."  4.  "  The 
True  Sphere  of  Woman."  5.  "LoveUness  of  Spirit."  6.  "Self-reliance."  7.  "The 
Secret  Springs  of  Self-reliance."  8.  "Of  Self  Cultm-e."  9.  "The  Y'oung  Lady  at 
Home."  10.  "  The  Young  Lady  from  Home."  11.  "  Courtship  and  Marriage."  These 
topics,  all  of  which  are  of  the  highest  importance  to  the  persons  addressed,  are  discussed 
in  the  author's  very  best  style.  The  English  tongue  can  furnish  no  better  language  than 
is  found  here.  The  illustrations  with  which  this  work  abounds  delight  the  render,  rivet 
her  attention,  and  convey  to  her  mind,  in  a  clear  and  forcible  mamier,  tlio  author's  mean- 
ing. Let  every  mother  procure  this  book  for  her  daughter.  Let  the  pastor  recommend 
it  to  every  family  within  his  charge.  Re  a.tsured  that,  in  so  doing,  you  confer  an 
incalculable  boon.  —  Correspondent  of  Herald  and  Journal. 

We  deem  ihis  the  oest  book  for  young  women,  next  to  the  Bible,  that  we  have  ever 
read.  It  embraces  every  subject  that  can  be  to  them,  as  a  class,  of  peculiar  interest.  — 
Advocate  and  Family  Guardian. 

III. 

THE  PATH  OF  LIFE  ;  or,  SKETCHES  OF  THE  WAY  TO  GLORY  AND 
IMMORTALITY.  Upwards  of  ten  thousand  copies  of  this  work  have  been  sold  since 
its  publication,  in  Januarj^,  1848.     Price  50  cts. 

I  have  read  this  work  with  li^'ely  interest  and  profit.  I  know  of  no  work  in  the  Eng- 
lish language  so  well  calculated  to  assist  and  establish  young  converts.— iieu.  J.  Caughey. 

IV. 

BRIDAL  GREETINGS.  A  marriage  gift,  in  which  the  mutual  duties  of  husband 
and  wife  are  familiarly  illtistrated  and  enforced.     Fifth  Edition.     30  cts. 

V. 
LOVEST   THOU   ME  *?    25  cts.     Many  thousands  of  this  work  have  been  sold. 

VI. 
LIFE  OF  ULRIC  ZWINGLE.    26  cts. 

This  is  probably  the  most  readable  life  of  this  early  and  distinguished  reformer  ever 
yet  published.  It  has  the  piquancy  of  D'Aubigne,  and  yet  is  brief  and  pertinent.  It 
will  commend  itself,  wherever  introduced,  to  the  esteem  of  those  who  have  the  chance 
of  reading  it,  whether  young  or  old.  — Dr.  Kidder,  in  Book-room  Catalogue. 


In  preparation,  by  the  same  author,  THE  GIRL'S  COUNSELLOR:  also,  a  work  for 
young  Christians  on  the  Conflicts  of  Faith,  considered  p*i)ocially  in  its  relation  to  the 
attainment  of  purity  of  heart. 

O"  These  works  will  be  published  in  the  same  style  and  size  as  the  "  Counsellors." 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  01136  6442 


